Open Your Eyes
by Anabelle9
Summary: Chihiro's world is falling apart: she has enemies around every corner, her husband isn't listening to her worries, and her own daughter, Kaede, can't stand her. But Kaede is special in ways no one could ever imagine. But will she be used for good or evil? And is it so hard for everyone to open their eyes to see the truth? Sequel to Spirited Away Again. Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1: Into the Fog

**Hello everyone, I'm back! It's good to be, too! Sorry to keep you all waiting, but this took some time to think of. Anway, this is my second fanfic :) and I'm so syked for you all to read it. This takes place the day after my first fanfic, "Spirited Away Again." Of course, because this is the sequel! I hope you all like it; there are all familiar characters here but I'll be sure to add new ones in soon! :) Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Into the Fog**

_"Kaede, don't do it!"_

_ "What choice do I have, Mom?"_

_ "If you do this, everything will change."_

_ "Yeah? Maybe that's a good thing…"_

* * *

"Mommy! Daddy!" _I'm dreaming...I'm dreaming…_

"Mommy, wake up!" _It's only a dream. Mai and Haru and sound asleep in their beds. I need more sleep. Sleep…sleep…_

"Come on, Mommy!" I couldn't resist them any longer. Those two never gave up. We were going to have to get up eventually. I slowly opened my eyes to see Mai and Haru jumping on our bed and shaking our arms.

"Today's our birthday!" They said. I put a smile on my face and picked up Mai.

"Yes, it is!" I told her, "And how old are you?" She counted her fingers, trying to remember how many she needed.

"Seven!" I nodded and threw the covers off me. Haku was still sleeping underneath the sheets. I shook my head, telling myself that one day he would actually get up on time one day.

"Mai, Haru," I whispered, "I think your daddy wants to play." They nodded and jumped on Haku and he immediately reacted.

"Daddy! Time to play!" He opened his eyes and looked at me. I smiled at his defeat. It pleased me to see that he would at least get up for his children. I departed from the warmth haven of my bed and left Haku to fend for himself against the little ones.

"It's time to sleep," I heard Haku say, "Can you let daddy sleep for just a few more minutes?"

"No! Daddy play now!" They never took no for an answer, so Haku was forced, by his own children, to get out of bed and start the day.

_Now if only he would do that every morning,_ I said to myself. Mornings weren't his favorite, nor mine. But with every morning comes a new day in the bathhouse.

For sixteen years Haku and I have run the bathhouse, and it has become a big success. Just like Yubaba, we hired everyone who asked for a job, but we didn't steal their names. To become like the old Yubaba was my worst nightmare.

After I finished getting ready for the day, I went straight downstairs to the boiler room. Like every morning, Kamajii was lying down on his chair, dead to the world. He was a very loyal friend. When Haku and I had just started running the bathhouse, Kamajii stayed with us because he knew how much we needed his help.

"Kamajii! Breakfast!" I yelled and he immediately got up. I gave him his breakfast and his gladly took it. This used to be Emi's job, but she's been traveling the Spirit World for the past sixteen years. We always would get letters from her, saying what a wonderful time she was having. Yu-Bird sent letters to and from Emi. It is still hard for me to call her Emi instead of Lin. I haven't seen her since the day she left, but she promised to return. And like everyone in the Spirit World, they don't break a promise.

"Oh, thank you, Chihiro," Kamajii said. I sat down by the soot workers Kamajii had. I used the same spell he did on the soot for helpers around the house. With three children and a husband, things tend to get messy, and I'm not always there to clean it up. Most of the time I'm not even at the bathhouse.

"So, how're the kids?" Kamajii asked. I saw one of the soot balls struggling to carry a piece of coal, so I stood up and helped him carry it. Whenever they needed help I'd do what I could, but not too much or else they would return to their original form.

"Oh, you know," I told him, carrying the coal like it was no big deal, "Haru and Mai are always energetic, so they're never boring."

"And your eldest?" I sighed when he mentioned that. I never liked talking about Kaede. After she turned thirteen, she became so distant with Haku and me. Every time I tried talking to her she would ignore me or tell me to go away.

"Same as always," I sighed as I threw the piece of coal into the boiler. Kamajii placed a hand on my shoulder.

"She'll come around," he said, "Trust me." I smiled. Kamajii always knew how to make me feel better. He was always there for me. Aside from Haku, he was best friend. And he always would be.

"Chihiro! Come on, we have to go!" Haku said. I looked at Kamajii and gave an apologetic expression.

"Sorry," I said, walking towards the little door in the wall, "I'll see you when we come back." We waved good-bye to each and I ran up to the top floor, where my office was. It was the same office Yubaba had, although there were two desks now. Haku's was against one wall and mine against the other. We had another one put in here because Yubaba insisted that I use her desk. Working together at the bathhouse was one of the greatest things we ever did together.

"Ready?" I said. He nodded. Every so often we would leave the bathhouse in the trusted hands of Kamajii and visit our dear friends, Zeniba and Yubaba. After Yubaba entrusted Haku and me with the bathhouse, we have been visiting them and checking up on things. Today was just another one of our numerous visits to Swamp Bottom.

Haku transformed into his dragon form and I climbed onto his back. He flew out of our office and headed towards Swamp Bottom. It never took longer than an hour, but today was different. Fog began surrounding us. I felt very uneasy about this. But Haku didn't seem worried, so I tried shaking it off.

I laid down on his back and stared at the sky above. The sun was a beautiful sight to see, and the clouds encircling it. I always wondered if it was the same sun my parents looked at when they started their day.

It had been sixteen years since I last saw them, heard their voices, or even felt their hugs. It was only a year after that day did I realize the pain of losing them. But Haku was there. He comforted me and told me that one day I would see them. I made him promise, and he did. I always wondered if he was telling the truth or just saying that to make me feel better.

Some time went by and I wondered if we would ever make it to Swamp Bottom. We had been flying straight through the mysterious fog, and I was skeptical if we were ever going to get out of it.

"Haku how much longer? We've been flying for over an hour." Obviously Haku was becoming angry with my impatience, so he sped down to the ground and I jumped off. He transformed back into his human form.

"It's this fog. I can't see where I'm going." He told me. I looked around the area where we landed. I saw nothing but the fog that was acting as a wall, blocking us from where we had to go. In the distance, I saw the train's light. But the light was right in front me, and it was heading straight for us!

"Chihiro, get out of the way!" Haku grabbed me and pushed me to the ground away from the train. I bumped my head on the ground and cut my arm on a tree branch. It wasn't as painful as it normally would have been, though. The train began slowing down and it eventually stopped at a train station not twenty feet from.

"Swamp Bottom! Anyone for Swamp Bottom?" I heard the conductor say. That was when I realized we had made it to our destination.

"Chihiro, you have to be more careful." Haku told me. I looked at him and smiled.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" I said, "And did you hear what that man said? We made it to Swamp Bottom." I got up and began running to the train station. The train departed and left, going to its next stop. I began running down the path that led to Zeniba's house.

"Chihiro, wait! When did you become such a fast runner?" I chuckled. I had always been faster than him. I joked around with him saying that it was because I was younger than him, and then he would use magic to make himself look younger than me.

When I finally made it to the small house, the door opened for us to walk in. Haku came out from the path seconds later, panting, out of breath.

"Come on, honey, they're waiting." I said. His hands were locked on his knees and he was out of breath. I grabbed his wrist and we walked into Zeniba's house. Zeniba was pouring a cup of tea for herself when we walked in. No-Face was staring outside, looking at the sun. He was always so fascinated by it and I never knew why. Yubaba was nowhere to be found, but that was normal. She would come and go a great deal of times; but in this fog, I was worried about her.

"Hi, Granny!" I said as Haku shut the door closed.

"Oh, Chihiro! Haku! So nice of you to come! Please, sit and I'll pour you some tea." Haku gladly took a seat as I took the one next to him. Zeniba told us we had to be quiet because Boh was asleep in the next room. Last time I woke him up, he practically went on a rampage. I didn't want that to happen a second time.

Zeniba sat down and stared me down for a second. I was a little worried about why. But then I realized it was because of what had happened earlier with the accident.

"So, what happened that gave you that cut on your arm and that bump on your head?" She knew that it was very odd for a spirit to get even the slightest injury. Accidents like that weren't common among most spirits. The only injuries most spirits face was a broken heart.

"Oh, this," I said, looking at the cut on my arm, "Well, we were flying through this fog and when we landed, we landed on the train tracks. Then the train was coming and Haku pushed me out of the way. That's when I hit my head and a tree branch cut my arm."

"Hmm," Zeniba said, "I see. Well, good thing Haku was there to save you." I smiled at him as he grabbed a hold of my hand. He was always there for me. I looked over to where No-Face was sitting. All day he would stare at the sun, admiring its beauty. But he never came by us when Haku and I visited.

"No-Face," I said, "Why don't you come and sit by us?" He looked at me, shook his head, and went back to staring out the window as I sighed. He never talked to me anymore. I wondered what I did to make him do this to me.

"Come on No-Face," Zeniba said, "I have a warm cup of tea waiting for you."

"Uh, uh." He said. I took that as a yes when he began making his way towards us. I smiled at Zeniba and whispered a 'thank-you' to her. No-Face really only listened to her. He sat down next to her and I relaxed a little more. Things were peaceful here. Quiet, serene, tranquil...

"Zeniba!" We heard a scream. And as easily as the peace began, it ended just the same. An angry witch identical to Zeniba walked in. I smiled at Yubaba, knowing this temper was only temporary.

"Hello, Yubaba, glad to see you two are getting along." I said sarcastically. Haku laughed behind me, but Yubaba wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Cute," she said, "Want me to permanently glue your mouth together? Again?" I knew she wouldn't really, but that wasn't a risk I was willing to take. Only certain things require me to do so. I tightened my grip on Haku's hand.

"Zeniba," Yubaba began, "I told you to keep that lamp post by the train station! I couldn't get anywhere in that fog out there!"

_Her, too? We had the same problem. _I thought. What was causing this fog? Or better yet, who…

"I'm sorry, but he needs a rest every once in awhile," Zeniba replied.

"Do you know what caused it? Or who?" I asked curiously. Yubaba hated when I asked questions about the Spirit World. I had only lived here for sixteen years, so some things were still a little new to me. But she probably didn't know the answer to this one.

"I'm not sure, but I sensed something bad out there, you might want to stay here awhile." She told us. But we couldn't stay much longer. Mai and Haru would be devastated if we were late to their birthday.

"But we can't!" I complained, "Mai and Haru expect us to be back for their birthday."  
"Oh right, the little twins of terror," Yubaba said, "I knew having one kid would be enough. That's why Boh is an only child." She smiled, looking at through the door in the room where Boh was sleeping. He was still the big, chubby baby we all knew and loved.

"Yeah, just look at you and Granny; both of you are always fighting with each other." I commented. Yubaba zipped my mouth closed. As I struggled to speak, she just laughed at me.

"Oh Yubaba! Cut that out, be nice to our guests." Zeniba used her magic and reopened my mouth. Yubaba grunted and walked away and sat in the rocking chair in the corner. That was where Zeniba would sow, and where No-Face, Boh, and Yu-Bird made the hair band for me.

"I'm sorry for my sister's behavior," Zeniba said.

"That's okay, Granny. It's not like I'm not used to it by now." I whispered. We both chuckled as Haku stood up. Only a few minutes here and he was already ready to leave.

"We really should be going, don't you think, Chihiro?" Haku interrupted. After spending a few minutes with Yubaba, he would always get uncomfortable and ask that we leave immediately. I sighed as I looked at Zeniba. I was a bit poignant. We hadn't been there that long and it took some time getting there. But Haku was right. Mai and Haru were expecting us to be back soon.

"Sorry, Granny, but we can't miss their birthday. It would start a whole commotion." She smiled and put her hand on my shoulder.

"We understand," she said, "Give them our best wishes, and our present should arrive there on time." She said and winked. I smiled and gave her a hug. She was the closest thing I had to an actual grandmother, since both of mine died before I was born.

"Oh Chihiro…" Yubaba called out in a very scary, creepy way. My eyes opened wide. It didn't seem like it would be a pleasant conversation by the way she said that.

"Um, yes?" I gulped.

"Did you find it yet?" She asked. I breathed a sigh of relief after that. Ever since Haku and I had become the heads of the bathhouse, Yubaba told me there was something special she had left behind, but she wouldn't tell me what it was or where she had it.

"Not yet," I said. She looked disappointed.

"Oh well, I guess I'll have to ask next time you come." She said. I shrugged and walked towards the open door.

"Good-bye everyone!" I shouted. This got both Yubaba and Zeniba angry. I had forgotten that Boh was asleep, and the minute I said that, he woke up.

"Mommy?" He said, "Mommy! Is that Sen? Sen!"

"Oh you're in for it, girl!" Yubaba yelled, but I quickly closed the door and Haku transformed into the dragon. I climbed aboard and we flew back into the fog. It was going to be harder getting home than it was getting here.

"You know, maybe we should come here less often," I said, and I knew Haku was smiling at that.

**Wow! So what did you think? Yubaba _really_ has it in for Chihiro, now! But what's with the fog? I mean, how does something like fog almost get Chihiro killed? And also, why is No-Face so reluctant to speak with Chihiro? What did she do? And that mystery Yubaba has waiting for Chihiro back at the bathhouse? All will be revealed in due time. Please review! I appreciate everything from compliments to criticism. Thank you! :)**

**Anabelle ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: When Fear Takes Over

**Hey again! Who can't want to read the next chapter? Things are starting to shake up pretty quick. Things are getting out of control at the bathhouse. I'm not that good at details, so sorry if things go a little to fast here. :/ Hope you enjoy reading!**

**Chapter 2: When Fear Takes Over**

It was going to be a long ride home. The fog was getting thicker, and I was starting to worry even more. There was something wrong with this. Yubaba was right, something strange was going on. I didn't know what, but I was going to find out.

My greatest fear was that it would hurt my children. Of course, there would be family and friends there to help, but I felt this was happening to me for a reason. I felt that someone was after us. After me.

"Haku," I whispered, "I think there is something…strange about this fog. I think someone is doing this for a purpose." I knew he couldn't respond, but he could listen. There was something odd going on.

"I think we should call him again," I didn't need to see his face to know that he was shocked to hear that. We haven't done that in a long time, since Kaede was born. It was a one-time thing as Haku calls it, but I knew someday we would have to have gone back.

"If we are in danger, I want to be prepared! We need him, and you know it." The bathhouse was right there. It was hard to see through the fog, but it was still slightly visible. Haku sped down to the bridge as fast as he could. He only did this when he was angry; angry at me.

"Chihiro," he said, returning back to his original form, "I know what is best for you and our children. We have nothing to worry about. The fact that there is fog here is just…natural."

"But I know there is something wrong with this! I can feel it. There is someone here, and they know about what happened sixteen years ago."

"You're apprehensive, I get that," Haku began, "but there is nothing to fear." He placed his hands on my shoulders, showing a calm gesture.

"I'll always be here to save you. We don't need to call him." I smiled and we embraced. I knew he was always there for me. Haku has done so much, but I knew he wouldn't always be there to save me. Some things I would just have to do on my own, and this was one of them.

"Mommy! Daddy! You're back!" Mai came up to us with opened arms as we walked into the bathhouse. She was always excited to see us. Kaede used to be the same way. But those days were over.

"Who cares, Mai?" Kaede said, "They're here all the time. It's better when they go, anyway." I sighed and let go of Mai. I hated the way Kaede talked to me. She made me feel like I wasn't important to her.

"Kaede, can you please go one day without insulting your father and me?" I told her, "Especially today."

"Why? Just because it's Mai and Haru's birthday doesn't mean they get to stop me from speaking the truth." Kaede said. She ran up the stairs and to elevator that led to our floor before I could even speak.

"Don't worry, she'll come around." Haku said, placing is hands on my shoulders. I sighed and broke free from his grip. I didn't want to hear that she _will_ come around. I wanted to know that she _is_ coming around. I needed Kaede just as much as she needed me.

I needed to get out of there. I wasn't going to be around someone who hated me more than me. I blamed myself for this. When the bathhouse was first become very popular, I almost never spent any time with Kaede. Kamajii let her play with the soot balls in the boiler room. I wasn't around for her when she needed me. Now, when she sees me paying all my attention towards Mai and Haru, it brings her back to the time where she was paid no attention to.

"I'm sorry, Kaede," I whispered to myself.

I waited at the bridge for something. Anything. I just wanted someone to come out here. Correction, I wanted Kaede to come out here. She and I are the only people who can fix this. But without her cooperation, that wasn't going to happen.

And then, all of sudden, I felt a cool breeze, running by my neck. The fog was covering the bridge, and I couldn't even see where I was standing. This wasn't safe, I knew it. I ran back to the bathhouse, not looking back to see if anyone was there, but I thought I could hear the soft sound of laughter.

As I enter the bathhouse, everyone saw that I had been running fast. I didn't know if it was just my instincts or if I was really running from someone. My most trusted employee, Osamu, walked up to me and said, "Chihiro, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Osamu." I replied, "Really, it's nothing."

"Okay, but if there is anything you need, just ask." I smiled and thanked him as he returned to his work. Walking through the bathhouse and seeing so many happy customers brought a smile to my face. If only my family were as happy as they were, and if only I were as calm and relaxed as them.

I had to keep my mind off things. Working on setting up for Mai and Haru's birthday was a good distracter. I used the soot balls I created from Kamajii's spell to help clean up while I sorted everything out. Mai and Haru were very picky, so there were some things that needed to be precise.

It was hard making all the arrangements all by myself. Haku was working in the bathhouse, I couldn't ask Mai and Haru to help set up for their own birthday, and Kaede wouldn't help anyways. It was just me. I never realized how alone I had been. The only people I talked to in the bathhouse were Kamajii, Osamu, and my family. I never really had time to socialize after Kaede was born. Things just have always been that way for me.

I sat down, staring out by where Emi's room used to be. Things were so peaceful here. This was where Kaede's room was now because she loved staring out at night, watching the moon and the stars stand out in the sky. When she was little we used to sit and wait for shooting stars together. I can't remember the last time she's asked me to do that with her.

"Mommy!" Mai said, running towards me, "Can we play with Kamajii?" Kamajii was very fond of the twins. He would let them play with the soot balls and was very patient with them. He was like a babysitter that was always there always.

"If it's okay with him," I said. She smiled and they both ran off down the hall. I turned around to see that Kaede was standing there in the doorway. I hadn't known that she was standing there, listening. And she didn't look too happy.

"You never let me play with Kamajii," she said, "Whenever I asked you'd say 'Maybe later,' or 'Not now, sweetie.' You only asked him to watch me when you were working." I didn't know what to say. Things had become some much different now that she's growing up. I thought that when she was older things would be easier. And boy, was I wrong.

"Kaede," I started to speak, but she obviously didn't want to hear what I had to say. She walked away, never turning back. Things were too complicated now. I just wished she would talk to me about it, then we may actually have a better relationship.

"Happy Birthday!" Osamu said. He gave them each their own box, both looking exactly the same. Osamu loved the twins. He gave them both their very own kids spell book, filled with beginner spells and potions. They loved it so much they practiced the spells on each other. Mai used the spell that Yubaba used on me to shut my mouth. Haru got angry, so he turned her into a frog. Everyone started laughing because they were so cute. Before any more damage came, I turned them back to normal.

"Now be careful with those spells," I said, "You never know if you'll use it wrong."

"Oh, Chihiro," Haku said, "let them have fun. They're only seven."

"Exactly why they should be learning now," I replied. Haku shrugged, but I didn't want them to grow up using their magic for evil. I've seen what it does it someone.

"Lighten up, Chihiro," I heard. In the doorway, I saw Yuki and Kage holding hands with their two children, Hamano and Taro. Hamano was a couple years younger than Kaede and Taro was only a month older than the twins, so they each had someone to play with. It was good that Hamano was close to Kaede's age. Maybe she could talk to her for me.

"Hi, Yuki! Glad you two could make it!" I said. I gave her a hug as Haku went to shake Kage's hand.

"We have a gift for each of them," Yuki told me, "Compliments of Kage." I was a little uneasy. The last time he gave one of my children a gift, things didn't go so well. The entire bathhouse almost exploded. I could only imagine what this next gift could be.

"Don't fret, Chihiro," Kage assured me, "It won't detonate this time." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good," I replied. Kage went and handed Haru and Mai their gifts. They were so eager to see what it was. I was as well. Kage always had a special meaning for each of his gifts. Except for the last one; that was just for fun. Thank goodness I found out what it was, or else I'd be working on building a new bathhouse by now.

"These gifts are special," Kage said, "You have to use them wisely." He picked up Mai's gift. It was a small glass container filled with a special type of water.

"Mai, this is water from my river," he continued, "if used in a special way, it can heal any wound. But, like all magic, it has its limits. There is only enough for three times, so use it wisely."

"I will," Mai replied, "Thanks, Uncle Kage!" She gave him a big hug as Haru came up with a lot of unanswered questions.

"Uncle Kage, what does my gift mean?" He asked. They gave him a multicolored hat with his name inscribed on the edge.

"This is a special hat," Kage said, "Whenever you're in trouble, it will make whoever wears it invisible. However, this magic has its own limits as well. You have to stay perfect still, or else the spell will wear off." Haru was so fascinated by the hat that he immediately tried it on.

"You can't see me!" He said. For a few seconds, he was completely invisible, but I knew a fidgety child like Haru couldn't stay still. He was visible once more after only a few seconds.

"Haru, it doesn't work when you move," I reminded him. We all had a good laugh about it. They were still young and had a lot to learn. Luckily, Haku and I will always be there to help them.

"Delivery for a, Chihiro Ogino!" I heard my name and immediately turned around to the door. I saw a young witch on her broomstick with a black cat next to her. It must have been Zeniba and Yubaba's gift to Mai and Haru!

"That's me," I told her. She handed me two packages and a notebook to write my signature in. After I did so, she left on her broomstick and I walked back to the party. Why were there two packages? One said, "From you're dear Granny and Aunt Yubaba," and the other said, "Aunt Emi."

"Mai, Haru, you have a couple more gifts." They hurriedly ran to me and took the gifts out of my hands.

"One at a time!" I ordered. Haru set the one from Emi down as Mai opened the one from Zeniba and Yubaba. Zeniba always spoiled the children with so many treats and gifts, whereas Yubaba could care less about what they gave the twins.

"Look, Mommy!" Mai held up a golden ring with two small diamonds on the top. I've only seen one other before in my life. It looked exactly like the communications ring that Emi had before.

"There's a note, too." Haru handed me the letter that was inside the box. I opened it and read aloud:

**_Dear Mai and Haru,_**

**_I hope you like this communications ring we gave you. There is only one, so you both will need to learn how to share it. This will help you communicate with anyone, even if they're on the other side of the Spirit World. Take good care of it, and have a wonderful birthday!_**

**_Granny and Aunt Yubaba_**

"Be sure to thank them," I said. But Mai and Haru were more interested in what their Aunt Emi had given them. I guess it was normal for little kids. When I was their age I opened every box before knowing who gave it to me.

"Mommy, where's Aunt Emi's gift?" Haru asked, "I left it right here." The gift had disappeared. No one seemed to have known where it had gone. It was like it had vanished. I was puzzled. Boxes don't just walk away. Although, for some reason, that was very common in the Spirit World. But this was somewhat strange.

"Are you sure?" I asked. Clouds of smoke surrounded us, and it swirled until I couldn't see anything or anyone. I held onto Haku's hand for dear life.

"Haku," I whispered to him, "I'm starting to think that gift wasn't from Emi." Winds came in and blew around us. My eyes shut tightly as is searched around for Mai, Haru, and Kaede, but they were nowhere to be found in all this smoke.

"Kaede, hold on to Mai and Haru!" We all bent down to our knees as we grabbed hold of something. I was scared. Fear had taken over me.

"Haku!" I shouted as I felt a pinch on my neck. And just as it came, it left just as quickly. Everyone seemed to be alright. Kaede had both Mai and Haru's hands in hers, squeezing them like her life depended on it; it almost did, for all of us.

"Chihiro," Haku said, pointing to the side of me. He felt my hair, and the right side had been cut off and there was blood running down my neck. I had one side long and one side cut to the neck.

"Oh my goodness!" I shouted, grabbing what was left of my hair. What the hell was going on? Who was doing this to me? What did they want? But I was angrier at Haku at that moment. Angry because he didn't believe me.

"I told you there was something strange going on, Haku."

**So does Haku believe her now? Chihiro is a litle paranoid, yes, but that will help her throughout the story. And also, why does Kaede hate her mother so much? What happened that drove them apart? Things are just beginning, and they're about to get even crazier! Oh, and the part with the witch bringing the package? I'm ure most of you know that was Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service. I wanted to add something like that to the story. :) Review, PM, anything! Tell me what you think I should add, characters I should use, etc. Thanks!  
Anabelle ;)**


	3. Chapter 3: For the Love of a Daughter

**Hi! So I hope you all are ready for this one. The title pretty much says it all. Kaede and Chihiro's relationship isn't working out, and things start getting worse. I don't want to say too much, but I will tell you there's a surprise ending. :) Can't wait! And here's chapter 3!**

**Chapter 3: For the Love of a Daughter**

"I told you, Haku! Someone is after me," Haku was still a bit skeptical about everything that happened that day. We were in our office; he was cutting my hair so the lengths were the same. Still, since I am a spirit, I have the power to grow my hair at a faster rate than usual.

"Chihiro, nothing strange is going on," he replied, "No one is trying to hurt you."

"Then how do you explain this?" I showed him the cut on my neck. It was only about a couple centimeters in, but the mark was visible.

"The person didn't want to cut off my hair, Haku; they wanted to go much further than that." His eyes opened wide, like he didn't expect me to say that.

"Wait, you think someone wanted to…to kill you?" I nodded as the pair of scissors fell to the ground. I stood up and walked to the fireplace on the other side of the room.

"My theory is that the person who did this to my hair couldn't see through the cloud of smoke and missed. That's why my hair was cut off."

"Chihiro, why are you so paranoid?" Haku complained, "You always used to put up a fight, but nothing about something like this."

"Well it's different now!" I shouted, "Someone is out to get me and I want to know why!" Papers began shooting in all directions as my rage increasingly got more infuriated. I walked up to a mirror to see how my hair looked. Haku had done a good job cutting it so they look even. But I wanted lengthy hair, ever since I was a little girl. I closed my eyes, hummed a tune and my hair began growing to its original length.

"I want to go see him, Haku," I said. He looked at me and sighed. We've gone over this so many time that it's like he's given up trying to convince me otherwise.

"Alright! You win; we'll go first thing in the morning." He put his hand to his face, thinking he just made the worst mistake of his life. But I was ecstatic. I gave him a hug and thanked him many times.

"I just hope you hear what you need to hear," We walked downstairs to our floor. We lived just below the top floor, so it wasn't long before we heard the cries of our two youngsters.

"Mommy! Daddy!" They cried. We hurriedly ran to them, panicking. When we opened their door, both of them were crying on their beds, waiting for attention. There was no one here but Mai and Haru. I breathed a sigh of relief. What if the man who did this to me went after my children? That wasn't going to happen. I'd put all my children before myself.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" My first instinct was that something hurt them. If that man came back he would have to deal with me. But, seeing that they were just upset, i relaxed a bit.

"Our birthday is over!" Mai cried. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was apprehensive. They were only little kids having a hard time dealing with the fact that their birthday only comes once every 365 days.

"Oh, come on now," Haku said, sitting next to Haru, "Next year will be even better. You'll be eight years old! And there will be more presents!" They smiled and clapped at the sound of that. Haku was good at parenting. I had a hard time dealing with the fact that I was in charge of three lives, and if I make one mistake everything goes wrong. Their future depends on my decisions.

"Now it's time to go to bed," I said. But they both just crossed their arms and gave me a grumpy look. Every night we went through the same thing, where Mai and Haru both refused to go to bed.

"It's bedtime, don't you want to dream? Dreaming is what keeps us going," I held Haku's hand. Every night after my first visit to the Spirit World, I dreamt of him, hoping I would one day reunite with him. At least my dreams came true. I never stopped believing in him.

"Mommy, what's your dream?" Mai asked me. I paused for a moment. What was my dream? Everything I could ever wish for was right here. I sat next to Mai and held her close to me.

"My dream is that you and your brother and sister will grow up to be good people and to be yourselves. I want you know that anything is possible if you have the courage to do so." She smiled at me and hugged me tightly. She was my little girl, but one day she wouldn't want to be. I've learned that with Kaede. One day, she wouldn't want to be hanging around with me. I had to savor every last moment I had with my little girl.

"I can't wait to go sleep!" Mai said, and she hurriedly climbed underneath the covers, as did Haru. I loved the way that if one twin did one thing, the other would do the same. Haku and I left their room silently and turned out the light.

And then, we walked up to Kaede's door. Luckily, it wasn't my turn to go in there. Was it terrible that I felt that way? That I didn't even want to see my daughter? Maybe that's why she hates me. Because I don't spend enough time with her. Maybe that's what she needed; just to spend some time with her mom. I always loved spending time with my mother, We did so much together, but as I grew older we became somewhat distant. But we still loved each other the same. It seems to me that Kaede doesn't love me at all.

"Well, wish me good luck," Haku said, as he reached his arm to open the door. I grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"No," I replied, "Let me. Maybe I should spend more time with her." He smiled and nodded almost as if he were relieved. But, Haku understood that I needed to get things straightened out with Kaede. I was hoping tonight would be the night everything changed. Anjd it certainly was.

I opened the door to Kaede's room and saw her lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was spread out with her legs dangling over the edge, and she turned her head to look at me, but quickly turned away.

"I thought it was Dad's turn to give me the 'nightly lecture,'" Kaede said to me, adding the air quotes.

"I wanted to talk to you myself," I replied. She didn't even look at me. Was I that terrifying? I made the first move by sitting down next to her.

"Look, darling, I just want things to be sorted out between us, and so far it feels like I'm the only one participating in fixing our relationship."

"I just want to be left alone. I don't need Dad, I don't need Mai or Haru, and i certainly don't you!" She got up and walked away. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Kaede, you know that's not true. You need us just as much as we need you."

"Maybe I can take care of myself," She told me, "I don't need you to baby me anymore. I'm almost fifteen; I know how to do things on my own." I crossed my arms and stood up. She thought she knew everything about life? I was about to prove her wrong.

"You think you know everything? You think that since you will be a grown woman soon that you know what it takes to survive in this unforgivable world?"

"Well it worked out for you, didn't it?" My eyes widened. I was not going to take this from my own daughter. Kaede needed to learn how to be respectful. She needed to learn how to trust me. She was becoming something I feared would happen.

I never treated my parents this way," I said. She whipped her head and stared at me with her dark brown eyes. Was it strange that she looked exactly like me and we had nothing in common? I felt like we were the younger version of Yubaba and Zeniba; we looked exactly the same yet we were total opposites.

"And where are they now?" She questioned me, "Back where you came from." My mouth dropped wide open. Did Kaede actually just say that to me? I felt like I was in a nightmare with no way out. Kaede was the antagonist in the nightmare and I was the helpless victim.

"Excuse me?" I shouted, "I will not be judged by my own daughter! I am no different from you, your father, or even your siblings! Sure, I came from another world, but that doesn't mean you can treat me like crap!"

"Oh yeah? You and I are nothing alike. I was actually born a spirit. You were just given a lucky chance. The only reason you're here is because of Dad. He's more of a spirit than you'll ever be." I thought I was dreaming. That I would wake up and my daughter would just be angry and not speaking to me instead of this. But this was more like a living nightmare.

"Kaede, you can't just go around judging people! Because of that people in the Human World die every day. You need to learn to think before you say something. Or maybe if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything."

"Then I guess we have nothing more to talk about," she said. Kaede pushed me to the door and opened it.

"Now get out if my room," She slammed the door shut and I looked straight forward to see a pair of emerald eyes staring back. I guess he did this every night I talked to Kaede. I would, too.

"Chihiro," He said, but I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I only wanted my daughter to respect me, to love me. How hard was it to get love from a daughter?

I ran all the way from Kaede's room to mine. She was turning into something I feared would happen. It was my fault, however. I didn't spend enough time with her as a child. She was so alone and now she's bringing all that anger back. I just want her to know how sorry I am.

"Chihiro! Wait!" Haku ran after me as I slammed the door shut. I sat in the corner with my legs up to chest and my head buried underneath so he couldn't see the teardrops falling from eyes. It was like one of those rainy days we always would get. One after the other, raindrops would fall down and land on the ground. Tears weren't any different.

Haku opened the door and I could tell he was just standing there, staring. Wondering how anyone could say something so harsh to their own mother. I was thinking the exact same thing.

"I think I should talk to her instead," He said to me, placing his hand on my shoulder, "Just for a little while." I looked up at him and wiped away the tears. He held out his hand and picked me up.

"I think you should, too." I hoped she would at least be more respectful to her father. I just hoped this one wouldn't end in tears.

* * *

**Kaede's POV**

"Who is she to tell me what to do?" I asked myself, "Just because she's a spirit now doesn't mean she's anything like me. I know she's my mother and I wouldn't be here without her, but she's become so demanding now. I have to be perfect at everything. I have to work at the bathhouse because it'll teach me responsibility. Sometimes I just want to do things myself, be my own person. "

I heard a knock at my door. As I opened it, sparkling blue eyes stared into mine. Ryo. He had been my best friend from when we were little. He was only a few days older than me, and he never let me forget it. Not that it would matter in due time. Soon, we'd forget about how old we were and just live.

"Hey Kaede," he said, walking in, "How's it going?"

"Terrible. My mom's being worst than ever." I sat cross-legged on the floor, and Ryo sat next to me.

"Well, you know she loves you," He said. Whose side was he on? Sometimes I wondered if anyone cared what I thought.

"Well I don't care, she thinks that now that I'm older our relationship will grow and we'll be closer than we ever were. She abandoned me, and now she expects me to give her the attention I never got? And to be what she wants me to be?" I kicked the floor and hid my face. "I just want to be me." Ryo wrapped his arms around me. He always knew how to help me when I was mad.

"What do you want to be?" He asked. I paused for a moment. I knew one thing was for sure. I did not want to work at this dull bathhouse.

"I want to be a normal girl." I sat up and look at him. "I want to explore, like Aunt Emi. She goes everywhere. All I hear about is Aunt Emi traveling and I want to be like that!"

"Then you should do what you want!" he said, standing up. "Be an explorer! Go place, see the world!" He held his hand out for me and picked me up.

"Really?" I asked, "But, my parents would never let me."

"Well, we can wait. When you're older they'll let you do things, right?" I didn't think of what they would do when I was older. I always thought I would live here forever. My mother would never let me out of the bathhouse. I could only go as far as the bridge, but passed that and I was grounded for life.

"I…I guess so." I said. Ryo smiled at me. He always smiled when I was happy, and when I was sad he would always cheer me up.

"I have to go," he said, walking to my window, "If my parents found that I snuck out again they'd kill me." I waved good-bye as Ryo departed from my room. The one person that understood me was now gone. I wasn't going to stand this. I needed to fight back! And the only person who could help me was leaving.

"Ryo, wait!" I said, stopping him in his tracks. He looked back at me and I smiled.

"How about we go on that adventure right now?" I asked him excitedly. His eyes widened, like he wasn't sure it would be okay. Of course we would get in trouble, but I needed to leave this place just for a little while.

"How? Where would we go? How would we get there? And didn't you just say your parents would never let you?" So many questions, so little time for answers. But there was one place I had always wanted to go. And we were going tonight.

"We don't need to go far to get to this place," I said, pointing to the amusment building out my window, "Because beyond that building in the distance is where we will enter a whole new universe."

**Wow,I didn't see that coming. Haha, :) I'm a genious! Probably spelled that wrong though. But, what do you ****think Kaede needs to do there? She's obviously never been to the Human World, so what's she need there? And when will her and Chihiro finally be able to have a conversation where it doesn't make the other burst into tears? So many questions, so much drama. I love it! I'll get the next one ASAP so don't worry! There's still more to come! Thanks for reading and please, reviews are very much appreciated. (Just keep that in mind.)**

**Anabelle ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: The Runaway

**Hey! So I know a lot of you are DYING to know what's going to happen next. Title: The Runaway. So mysterious, oooooh. Questions will be answered, but questions will be left a mystery. Only four chapters in and we're already getting into big problems! Don't worry. Their lives are so hectic this story is full of situations! So sit back and relax and here you go!**

**Chapter 4: The Runaway**

"Wha-what?" Ryo didn't seem to like the idea of running away. But it wasn't going to be forever. I just needed some time away from this place. I wanted to go on an adventure like none other. Going to the Human World would be the adventure of a lifetime. No one had gone through from both since…my mother.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" I replied. Ryo had always been on the safe side of things. He never was too daring or audacious, but he kept me in line when I did something over the top, like this. But he wasn't going to keep me from doing this.

"I don't know," he said, pacing the floor, "it seems risky."

"And that's why we should do it! Look, I'm sick and tired of my parents controlling me and telling me what to do. Please do this one thing for me and I'll never ask you for anything else. Please?" He looked at me with worried eyes, while I whimpered. He could never say no to me when I begged or gave him the puppy-eyes.

"Alright," he admitted, "But we have to return before our parents find out."

"Are you kidding? I want to be there at least a full day. We'll return by sunset tomorrow. Promise." I grabbed my jacket and put on some shoes. As I walked out the door he grabbed my shoulders.

"You promise we'll be back before sunset?"

"I promise." If I broke this promise, he would never forgive me. We were going to get into so much trouble, but it would be worth it to enjoy life for a while. We walked out of my room and instead of turning to the elevator, I went down the hall to my parents room.

"What are you doing?" Ryo whispered. Everyone was asleep by now. Even my parents would be. I grabbed a bobby pin and began picking the lock. I needed something that my mother had.

"I need something first," As the door unlocked, I slowly opened it and walked in. my mom slept on the left side, whereas my dad slept on the right. On the table next to my mother's side laid a beautiful, violet hair band. My mother has it ever since her first visit her, and I needed it.

Slowly, I walked up to the table, but as soon as I got close enough, her arm moved onto the table, covering the band.

"Come on, why do we need that?" Ryo asked.

"It's important," I replied, and used my magic to gradually move her arm away just until I got it. I gently lowered her arm and we ran out the room as quiet as a mouse.

We made it passed the bridge. If mother found out she'd kill me. But until she did, I was going to have fun. No one, not even my mom, could stop me now.

I was running fast. My hair was bouncing around since I tied my hair with the hair band I took from my mother. I wanted to get there so badly. We ran down the steps that led to the river and the boat. I didn't expect it to wash away and turn back so quickly. It must be one of magic's certain limits I've heard so much about.

I didn't get the idea. Why should magic have limits? Magic should be free, it should be able to be indefinite and liberated. Magic was like me: forced to live by rules and certain limitations and nothing could break us from it. We weren't living our lives the way we wanted to.

"Kaede," Ryo said, "if we're going to go, I think we should go now because I saw a light go on in the bathhouse." We were only yards away from getting to the building where we will enter the Human World.

"So? It's probably just someone looking for a midnight snack or something." I said, brushing it off.

"Um, I don't think so," I looked back at the bathhouse and saw that he was right. "Kaede, isn't that…your room?"

* * *

"_Mom, this isn't working! I can't be who you want me to be! I'm just not as perfect as you!"_

_ "I don't expect you to be perfect, I expect you to follow orders!"_

_ "Well maybe I just want to do my own thing. Ever thought of how I felt about this?"_

_ "Of course I do. I know what's best for you."_

_ "Obviously you don't or else I wouldn't be in this prison you call a bathhouse."_

I suddenly woke up. It was dream. Wasn't it? I remembered that I was talking to someone. They called me "Mom." Was it Haru or Mai? It sounded more like Kaede. I had heard that spirits sometimes received dreams that reflected what was going to happen in the future. That didn't sound like a dream. It was more like a living nightmare.

I got up out of bed and took a walk. I needed to shake things off. Kaede would be asleep by now. If I just took a peek in there, she wouldn't mind. She wouldn't even know.

I got up to her room and saw the door half opened. Maybe after I left Kaede went to look at the stars. Whenever I had a fight with _my_ mom I would always sit in my room and stare at the sky. The night looked more peaceful than day. The sun has a job to light up the sky. The moon has to do the same, although it has help from the stars. It's not alone. I felt more like the sun at that moment.

I opened Kaede's door and sat on her bed. I place my hand where I thought her head would be, but it wasn't. Nothing was there. I threw off the sheets and turned on the light, only to see that my daughter wasn't here.

"Haku!" I shouted. In a matter of seconds, he was at the door, staring at the empty bed. I began bursting into tears and he held me. Osamu came up and saw the same thing we both did. He approached this more calmly than I did.

"I'll wake everyone up. No one will work tomorrow." He ran out of the room and I saw Mai and Haru rubbing their eyes.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" She asked. I picked her up and she laid her head on my shoulder.

"Nothing," I replied, "Everything's fine." I looked at Haku as he picked up Haru. We walked them to our room and I told them to stay with their father.

"I'm coming with you," He said.

"Someone has to watch Mai and Haru," I said to him, "And it sure as hell isn't going to be me. I need to find her."

"Well…how about Moe and Souta?" he suggested. Moe and Souta had been employees since we first reopened. They have so loyal and when they had their own child, we promised to look after him whenever she needed it. She was a really good friend. I ran to their room and saw Moe crying on the ground.

"Moe, are you okay?" I asked. She looked at me with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Ryo's missing!" Now, I was even more enraged with Kaede. Why would she bring Ryo into this? It wasn't his problem. We had the argument. She hasn't even seen him since that afternoon. How would he know what was going on?

"So is Kaede," I told her, "But I need to ask you a favor. I'm going to find our children, but I need someone to watch Mai and Haru."

"Of course," Moe replied, wiping her eyes, "Souta and I can do that. Just promise you'll bring them back." I nodded and grabbed her hand.

"Nothing will stop me from finding them."

* * *

"Come on, Ryo! They'll catch us if we don't move fast!" We were running down the hill and into the building where my dreams would finally come true. I looked back to the bathhouse. All the lights were on now. Everyone knew we were gone now. When we got back, things were surely going to be wild. But that was a price I was willing to pay.

"Kaede, come on!" I whipped my hair and looked down the long, dark tunnel. It was only the beginning of my journey. One step after the other, I walked to the land I had come from.

**Haha, another one complete! So things are starting to shake up a bit in the Spirit World. Chihiro has a big problem. Her daughter doesn't listen to her, she has someone out to kill her, and now she has a missing person? Two actually. She really doesn't like the fact that Ryo was brought into all this controversy. So many problems, so much conflict, and drama. Can't forget drama. :) Thanks to all my readers and followers. PLease review or PM for any questions you have on the story. Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: Into a New World

**Hi! So who's ready to see what Kaede and Ryo are planning? Last time we saw that they ran away for the Human World, hence the title: The Runaway. So why the sudden need to go there? What's Kaede's method to her madness? And will Chihiro and Haku ever find them? Kaede may not want to be found. She may want to stay there, forever. Things are heating up quickly, and it's only just getting started! Here you go! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: Into a New World**

_"Mom, no!"_

_ "Kaede!"_

_ "I won't let go! I'll never let go!"_

"Kaede...Kaede…" I heard the soft voice of Ryo as I slowly opened my eyes. His blue eyes stared back into mine. I sat up and looked around. We were lying down in a forest next to a statue of a spirit. He looked like a happy spirit. It must have been one of those kid spirits long ago. it's hard to find a spirit as happy as that one.

"What happened?" I asked. Ryo helped me stand up as I rested my back on the spirit statue. He told me how when we were walking through to the Human World, and then suddenly I fainted as we exited the building. He placed a blanket over me and waited until I woke up.

"Oh," I said, "I really don't remember that much. All I remember is passing through the building." I looked beyond the building and saw a path that lead away from here. It headed away from the entrance to the Spirit World, and that's where I wanted to go; to get away from here as far as possible. It was my only lead to find what I was looking for.

"Ryo! Come on, look!" I ran along the path as fast as I could. In the Human World, my magic didn't work as well. I was slower than usual. Normally I would have been at the end of the path by now, but it took me well over ten minutes to get there. Ryo was right behind me, panting, out of breath.

"Man, why are you so fast?" I had always been faster than him, ever since we were kids. It must have been genetics, because my mother was always a fast runner.

_No, no thinking of "her." She is not ruining this for me. _ I looked ahead and found a road. It led in two directions; one going straight and the other turning left.

"Well, which way?" Ryo asked me. I couldn't decide. Either way we would get to our destination. I just needed to choose this right the first time. I looked to my left. There was a neighborhood of house looking relatively small. All except the blue house in the corner. It was the biggest yet.

Then I looked straight ahead. There was a large city. My mother used to tell me stories of when she would go there and meet up with friends. She had so many friends while I was cooped away in the bathhouse. I felt like the Spirit World's own Rapunzel, trapped from the world we want to belong to.

"I…think we should go straight," I finally said, "just to be sure. We can always come back." Ryo nodded and we set off. As we got closer, the city grew larger and larger. There were many moving objects. I heard mother once call them "cars" and the smaller ones were known as "bicycles." Things here were much different from the Spirit World.

Buildings lined up next to each other eveywhere. There was no room inbetween each one. They each had signs telling people to buy their products. Spirits used gold, but once my mom told me humans here used a currency called "yen." There were so many differences between us. I wanted to learn more about them.

"So," Ryo said, "Where are we off to first?"

* * *

**Chihiro's POV: Earlier that night**

"Why?" I asked myself, "What possessed her to just take off?" We had been flying for hours. We had already passed up Zeniba's house. She hadn't seen Kaede or Ryo. I had no lead as to where they might be going. Haku was flying, looking in every direction. The fog had managed to disappear, but my fear hasn't. What if she was hurt? What if someone took her? So many questions left unanswered. I had to find her, and fast.

Hours went by, but it seemed like a century. Knowing my baby girl was out somewhere, lost and alone. Well, not completely. She had Ryo. But that made me more uneasy. She and Ryo, of course, had been best friends since they were kids. There was just a feeling I had that they would one day become more than friends, but every time I mentioned it Kaede would just ignore me or tell me how idiotic I sounded.

"Haku, do you think we'll find her?" He didn't do anything. He just kept flying, ignoring my question. That was understandable. We had no idea where to look, for instance. Kaede didn't leave anything for us. She didn't even tell us she was going. When she got home, she was going to have a long talk with Haku and me.

The sun was just about to rise when Haku and I returned to the bathhouse. Moe was waiting outside. I couldn't bear to look at her. I told her I'd bring Ryo home. I wasn't good at making promises.

"We are still looking," Haku told her, "We searched everywhere from here to Swamp Bottom. Don't worry; we're going to find them." Moe held up her strength and tried not to cry. Ryo was her only child. I felt the same with Kaede before the twins were born. We went upstairs, only to find Mai and Haru jumping on their beds.

"Mai! Haru!" I shouted. I ran to them and took them each off their beds. Why did they have to so childish? Even Kaede was more mature than that at their age.

"C'mon, Mommy!" Mai said.

"I've told you before, no jumping on the beds!"

"You're no fun!" Haru said. They both ran out of the room, almost running into Haku. I sat on Mai's bed and stared out the window. Things were getting out of control.

"Hey," Haku said, sitting next to me, "They're only kids," I stared out to the river. It was so peaceful and calm, everything opposite from me.

"Yeah, but they think of me as the buzz kill," I said. I could hear Haku sigh. I didn't belong here. It may have seemed fun when I first got here, but it didn't seem right. I felt unworthy of something so great. Maybe Kaede was right. Maybe I was just given a lucky chance.

"Well, in every family there's always a fun parent and a strict one. Usually, the mothers _are_ the stricter ones." I laughed at that. My mother had always been authoritarian towards me, especially since I was an only child. Maybe that's why Kaede hated me. I was turning into my own mother, too controlling and bossy.

"I guess so," I replied. Haku smiled and then stood up, holding his hand out to me.

"Ready to find them?" He asked.

"How? We have no idea where to look! They could be on the other side of the-" And then it hit me. Kaede knew I would be able to find them. But if she wasn't in the Spirit Word…

I scrambled through Mai and Haru's bedroom, looking for the one thing that would allow us to see Kaede. It was in here somewhere. If they lost it, I don't know how they'd be able to repay Zeniba and Yubaba. Zeniba would be more loving than Yubaba. Just because she's a changed person doesn't mean she still has that malicious touch to her.

"Chihiro, what are you doing?" Haku asked. I held up the communucations ring to Haku's face as I found it in Mai's drawer.

"We may not be able to find her, but we'll be able to see her now…"

* * *

"Please, Kaede, let's just take a break." I groaned and looked back. Ryo was a few feet behind me, walking as slow as a turtle. I was in a hurry. It was already midday, so we didn't have that much more time left. We had to be back before dusk, or else, we can't return.

"Fine," I finally said, "Let's go to this place. I'm sure there is someone here who can tell us where we are going." We walked into a shop. The smell of coffee filled the place. I had an amazing sense of smell, so the coffee was very strong.

Ryo sat down on one of the chairs as I looked at the people here. None of them gave us strange looks. They thought we were just like them. Too bad we were completely different people. As Ryo took a rest, I walked up to the counter. A young woman was working there; she almost looked like my mother's age. I noticed that she put her name on a tag, so that people know what to call her. Her tag said, "Hello, my name is Emi."

My eyes opened wide. I remembered from my mom's story that she was best friends with a girl named Emi, and that's how my aunt found out her real name. Was this the girl? Maybe she knew where I needed to go! I had to ask.

"Hello," she said, "What can I get you?" I didn't know what to say at first. I needed to approach this slowly.

"Um, hi. My name is Kaede. I used to know someone who lived here."

"Oh, who? I've lived here my whole life, so I'm pretty sure that I'll know them." She had a pretty smile. Her hair was a raven-black, just like my Uncle Kage's, but her eyes looked like my mother's.

"Um, her name was…Chihiro. Chihiro Ogino." Her face went from full of contentment to full of grief. What did they think happened to her?

"Hey, lady, you're holding up the line!" I looked at the man behind me. He was tall, and way stronger than me. It was best to not pick a fight.

"My shift ends in a few minutes, we can talk then." I nodded and walked over to Ryo. He was sitting in one of the chairs, looking out the window at this mysterious world. I learned many things from my mom from when she used to live here. But this was way more than what I imagined.

"Ryo, I found someone who knew my mom!" I whispered, "She can tell me where we need to go!" He turned around and stared at me.

"And what is it did we come for?" he said without expression. He seemed mad, but that was understandable. I begged him to risk getting in major trouble with both of our parents and he knew that after this, his parents would never trust him again.

Trust was a big thing in the Spirit World. once someone you trust completely breaks that, everything you thought of that person dies. Ryo's trust with his parents meant everything to him. He deserved to know why we came here in the first place.

"Okay," I sighed and sat down next to him, "The reason we came was because there is someone I need to meet. Actually, two people. I just…it would…I need to see them."

"But why?"

"Please, just trust me on this."

"No! I want to know why. You owe me that much." I was silent. I didn't know how to explain it to him. Of course he would be angry, but I'd have to tell him eventually.

"Now! Kaede, why is it such a big secret?"

"Because they're my grandparents!" Everything became silent. Ryo was just sitting there, looking at me. No, staring. He was staring at me, as if I was a strange creature of some sort.

"Kaede, what were you thinking?" he asked.

"I thought you were on my side," I told him, "I thought I could trust you."

"Of course you can trust me, but you know we can't have any contact with this world. I thought you just wanted to see where your mother live, but to have contact with her parents?"

"Please just trust me on this?" I gave him the sad look, and he sighed. It worked every time.

* * *

"Okay," I said, looking at the communications ring in my hand. I put it through the ring finger on my right hand. On my left was my wedding ring. Haku wanted to spoil me with the greatest things when we first became a couple. It was solid gold with three small diamonds around the top. I smiled and remembered that the day he gave me that ring was the day I felt like I truly belonged here.

"Chihiro, are you okay?" Haku seemed to have noticed that I paused to stare at the ring on my finger. It was precious to me; almost as precious as Kaede.

"Oh, sorry. I'm fine." I turned the dial to the right and it pointed at one of the walls in Mai and Haru's bedroom. "Kaede Nushi!" Immediately, I saw her. She was sitting in my favorite coffee shop with Ryo. I was stunned. I knew Kaede wanted to leave, but to go to the Human World was a little over the top.

And then I saw her. Emi. I couldn't believe it! My best friend sixteen years ago was still living there. And she just met my daughter. Kaede was smart, I knew that. But this required intense knowledge to know that that was my best friend. But now, seeing Kaede in the Human World, made me want to scream.

"What!" I screamed. I had forgotten that she could still hear me, so I quickly turned it off. I looked at Haku with worried eyes. We both knew how unforgiving the Human World was compared to this one.

"Let's move," Haku said. And with that we were gone instantly, and I was ready to ground Kaede for life.

* * *

It wasn't long before Emi had come out from her employee's outfit and now was wearing a more casual outfit. She smiled at us and I waved to her. Ryo looked to me, shaking his head, but I just ignored him. I didn't mind if he was uncomfortable with this.

"Hi, Kaede," She said, walking up to us. I smiled and introduced Ryo.

"Oh, is this your boyfriend?" My eyes opened wide.

"Um, no. No, no, of course not! We're just really, really good friends, that's all." My heart was beating, my pulse was racing. Was it that obvious that we looked like a couple? Of course I had always wanted to be one, but he never seemed interested.

"Oh, I didn't mean to jump to conclusions," Emi said apologetically, "So, you two knew my friend, Chihiro?" I looked at Ryo and we both nodded. Emi crossed her arms, looking at us suspiciously.

"What!" We heard a strange noise. We looked around, but no one seemed to have heard it but us three. The voice was familiar. This person used that tone to me all the time. My mother. She now knew where I was, and she'd be coming here to collect me...maybe. Or maybe not. She can't get through. I have until sundown; I had to move fast.

"What was that?" Emi asked.

"Um, nothing. Probably nothing," We got back to business quickly, but I wasn't planning on it.

"Now, back to more important situations. How old are you two?" Was that an important question? Did that relate to anything about this?

"Um, I'll be fifteen next month," I said, unaware that that was the biggest mistake I've ever made.

"Interesting," Emi said, "Because according to her parents, Chihiro died sixteen years ago…"

**Woah. Woah! Haha, cliffhanger! :) I love those. Haha. Now how is Kaede going to get out of this mess? How will she be able to explain that she's Chihiro daughter? But she can't. Very few humans believe in the Spirit World, so it's a big deal to actually see one. Thigns are heating up. Can't wait to see the reviews! (Please review :)) Thanks!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	6. Chapter 6:The Young the Old&the Doubtful

**Hey! So where we left off last time was with Emi almost finding out the truth. Will she? Is Kaede going to spill everything? Whatever Kaede chooses, Ryo won't be happy with it. He's like the Jiminy Cricket of the Spirit World. Haha, anyways, I'll let you guys read it now, and I hope you enjoy it! **

**Chapter 6: The Young, the Old, and the Doubtful **

"Wha-what?" I asked, completely and utterly shocked. I knew that my mom's parents had to give a reason for her disappearance, but this caught me off guard. How was I going to explain that I knew her, let along that I was her daughter?

"Umm…"

"So?" Emi said, "Are you two going to tell me how you know Chihiro?" We both stood still. Sometimes I would look at Ryo and he would look back, but that's how we talked. We had a special connection; we could heard each other's thoughts.

_ I told you this was a bad idea!_

_ Hey! I thought we could pull it off!_

_ Well, we didn't. What do we say now?_

"I'm waiting…" Emi said, looking at her watch. We had to think of something fast. What was I going to say? Hi, I'm a spirit, born to your friend who you thought was dead but is really alive and a big pain in my ass? I had to come clean about something.

"I did know your friend," I began, "but that's because…my mother knew her!" I breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one. It wasn't a total lie; my mother knew herself, and I, too, know her, sadly. Ryo seemed to calm down a bit as well. Emi, on the other hand, didn't believe me. I could tell by the look on her face.

"How? Aimi and Kimiko have lived here their entire lives! Unless you're Keiko's daughter…"

"Yes! I'm Keiko's daughter!"

"Wow," Emi said, "I never thought Keiko wanted to see us again…" My face went from contentment to shock. But I had to make it look believable.

"Oh, well, she doesn't know I'm here," I continued, "See, I wanted to get to know about her life and where she was from, so I came here." Emi looked at me with suspicion, but she seemed to believe it more and more as I continued.

"I wanted to see Chihiro's parents because she gave something important to her when they were kids. And I thought if I brought it back, she would be happy to see it again." Emi smiled and laughed.

"Haha! Oh, I am so sorry for accusing you of something else."

"Who did you think I was?" I asked.

"Well, I had this crazy idea," Emi started, "No, it couldn't be possible." I wanted to know about it more and more as she went on.

"What? Tell me." I gave her a compassionate smiling, indicating that she could trust me.

"I sort of had a thought that…Chihiro was alive," she said, "And that you were her daughter." We were all silent. I didn't know what to say, and Ryo was happy being quiet where he was.

"What would make you think she was alive?"

"Well, not totally alive," Emi continued, "But when we were teenagers, we would always have sleepovers. And in Chihiro's sleep she would whisper a name."

"What name?" I asked. It was like one of those bedtime stories mom used to tell me when I was little.

"She would always whispered, 'Haku, Haku.' I thought it was a past boyfriend, but we were too young for that, anyway. Whenever I asked her, she would deny knowing such a person."

I just stood still. I didn't know what to say. I had to keep my story going, though. If not, my mom would have something else to ground me for than just running away.

"Oh, well that's a big stretch!" I said, "Um, could you please tell us where her parents live?"

"Oh right!" Emi said, losing her train of thought, "Um, they live back there by the forest, last house on the street. They've lived there since the day they first moved here." I smiled and grabbed Ryo's arm. We were running back in the direction we came from. I turned around and waved to Emi saying, "Thank you!" She waved back and we were on our way to get what I wanted.

"Well, this is the place." I stared at the blue house, the last one on the street. It was right next to the forest where the gate to the Spirit World was. I didn't know why my mom never returned. It took her nine years to go back, and it was an accident. She didn't even want to go back. I've heard my parents' story a great deal of times., and my mother never missed out the part where she was reluctant to return. I knew she loved my dad. Every time I saw them together it's like she couldn't move her eyes. She always stared at him with admiration. I used to think it was gross, but then I saw what real love was. I had always wanted someone to look at me that way, someone special. But the fact she was risking everything not to return made me dislike her even more.

I looked at Ryo as he rang the doorbell. Why didn't he like me? I tried to be flirtatious and showed him that I liked him, but he always seemed to treat me only as a friend. Nothing I ever did seemed to get him interested. Ryo was a bit shy, but never around me. Boys were so complicated.

"Do you think they're home?" I asked. He looked at me with irritated eyes. We came all this way and he was not about to leave without getting done what needed to do, even if he didn't want to be here in the first place.

"Oh, they'll be home," Ryo said, "We'll wait here till sunset if we have to." It almost felt like we did. Hours went by, and the sun was getting lower by the minute. But finally, a woman with bags in her hands walked up to the patio we were sitting at.

"Oh, well hello there," the woman said, "how can I help you?" I stood up and stared at the woman. This was my grandmother. She had short brown hair and was very pretty. She wasn't very old, but neither was my mother. She seemed very nice, but I wish mom would have told me more about them.

"Um, hi," I said, "My name is Kaede. My…my mother knew you."

"Oh, and who is your mother?" She said. I panicked. I wasn't ready to tell her who I really was. I couldn't. How would she react when she found out I was her granddaughter?

"Um, her name is Keiko." I looked at Ryo, who gave me a surprised look. I was upsetting him; he didn't like all of the lying I had been doing. But the truth was bound to come out eventually. Just not at this moment.

"Oh," She said, "I haven't seen her in...in almost twenty years! Please, come in, come in." She walked up the steps and Ryo took one of the bags she was carrying. Their house was beautiful. There were so many paintings and pieces of artwork covering the walls. Most of them, I saw, were from an artist named C.O.

"Wow," I said, "these paintings are amazing!" Ryo set the bags down on a table in the other room and I followed them. The woman was making tea in the kitchen for us. Ryo and I sat down at the table while we waited for her.

"My husband and I bought some of those paintings for our art collection." She said.

"Art collection?"

"Oh yes, we have loved art since…" She paused for a moment, and I knew why. Since her daughter "mysteriously" disappeared. But they knew what really happened. They knew the truth.

"Since my mom's friend?" I asked, "Your daughter?" The woman looked at me with poignant eyes.

"Yes, my daughter was an artist. Most of these paintings were made by her." I opened my eyes widely. Getting out of my seat, I walked up to the ones that were made by C.O.

"Chihiro Ogino," I whispered. One of them I recognized right away. I couldn't believe that I didn't see it before. It was a pair of emerald green eyes. That was the whole painting. Just the eyes, staring back. They were my father's eyes.

"Where did she get the inspiration for this piece?" I asked. I wanted her to tell me everything, to tell me she believed in people like Ryo and me. But that was a secret she had to keep for my mother.

"Oh," She replied shockingly, "Um, well…that was a mystery. She never got the chance to tell us what it meant."

"Hmm, interesting," I said, "Do you think it was of someone she knew? Like a relative or a friend…" I saw her gulp. She wasn't good at keeping a poker face. I had to tell her everything.

"Or maybe a man named Haku?" Her eyes widened. I smiled, but Ryo was very doubtful that I should be sharing any of this with her.

"You-you know about them?" She asked. Before I could answer, a man walked through the door. He looked only a few years older than the woman, but I knew instantly who it was. My grandfather.

"Yuuko, I'm home!" He placed his hat on a hook and stared at us.

"Oh, I see we have guests." He smiled and shook Ryo's hand and then mine. He was so kind, and Yuuko seemed so frightened.

"Honey, what's the matter?" He asked. She looked at him with gloomy eyes.

"They know." He knew instantly what she was talking about. Only he wasn't angry. He just seemed disappointed.

"Did you tell them?" He asked her. She shook her head quickly and I stepped in.

"We've known since the say we were born," I said to the couple, "because we are spirits ourselves."

We were sitting on a long chair they called a couch and Yuuko brought us our tea. Ryo and I sat on one and they both sat on another across from us. I continued our story.

"I was born at the bathhouse, where your daughter works. Ryo and I are only a few days apart in age."

"And you two are…" Akio asked. I didn't want him to think we were siblings. That would have been weird since we're days apart in age.

"Oh! We're just friends! Not related at all." I quickly said. Ryo started chuckling and I gave him a mean look.

"C'mon, really? You're laughing?"

"What, you don't find it hilarious that they thought we were related?"

"We'd have been like Mai and Haru then."

"I'm sorry, who's Mai and Haru?" Yuuko asked.

"My little brother and sister; they're twins."

"So if you two are from the Spirit World," Yuuko began, "then your mother isn't Keiko, am I wrong?" I sighed and looked down at my feet. This was the moment of truth. I had to tell them. It seemed like Ryo thought so, too.

"You're right," I replied, "She's not. I didn't even know who she was until Emi mentioned her name when we first got here. My mother is from the Spirit World, of course, but not entirely." They seemed confused, so I kept going.

"My mother was brought there when she was young, by you two." I took a deep breath and said, "My mother…is your daughter." Yuuko was taken back and Akio just looked at me. I was glad to finally get that off my chest, but now they had questions that wanted to be answered.

"Wait," Akio said, "how can we trust you? How do we know that you're really our granddaughter?" I had a feeling they would ask me that. I reached into my pocket and took out the violet hair band that I took from Mother. I gave it to them and they examined it, knowing that I was telling the truth.

"It _is_ really you!" Akio said in disbelief. On the other hand, Yuuko just wanted to know everything that had happened while they were gone.

"Chihiro…" Yuuko said, "How is she? Is she safe? Healthy? Happy?" I smiled at her. I was going to have to tell them everything.

"Yes, she's fine and very happy. My father makes sure of that." Akio seemed a bit uneasy about that.

"Your father…" he said, "Haku, I presume?" I nodded and he had no expression to show.

"Oh c'mon, Akio," Yuuko said, "You knew they loved each other."

"Yes, but it just seems so…so…" He looked at me like I didn't know what they were talking about. But I was almost fifteen! Why did everyone treat me like a child?

"You think I don't know what you're talking about?" I asked, "I'm almost fifteen! The thought of parents like that scarred me for life!"

"So you're almost fifteen years old?" Akio asked. I nodded and he just shook his head. "Well, they certainly didn't waste any time."

"Akio!" Yuuko shouted and he stopped talking. This was a little too deep for my liking.

"Okay," I said, trying to get the image out of my head, "On to more important issues, I came here to see you because I wanted to get to know you."

"But we may not get that chance now," Ryo said. I looked at him and he pointed to the window. The sun. It was setting. We had a good twenty minutes before it completely disappeared.

"Oh no," I said. Ryo got up and ran for the door.

"Wait!" I told him. His hand was on the doorknob, ready to go any second. I looked back at my grandparents. They seemed sad that I had to go. They even knew that the sunset is how we get back. I stood up and walked towards them, embracing them deeply. I loved them, even if I had only just met them now.

"I love you," I said.

"And we love you, as well," Yuuko said. I drew back and walked slowly to the door.

"Wait!" Akio shouted. I looked back and he grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down some words that I couldn't read from where I was standing. When he finished, he folded it in half and handed it to me, along with the hair band.

"Please give this to your mother," he said with tears on the brink of bursting out, "Tell her how much we love her and miss her."

"And say hi to your siblings for us!" Yuuko said. I smiled and Ryo opened the door. I turned around, waved good-bye, and as fast as we could, Ryo and I set off back home.

**So she got to see her grandparents! How sweet. It won't be when she gets home, because Chihiro has been freaking out all day. But she'll be even more disappointed if they don't return soon. What if they miss it? What if Ryo and Kaede can't go home? Ryo surely wouldn't be happy about that. Until next time, please review and tell me anything you liked/hated/enjoyed/found totally amazing about this story! Thanks!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	7. Chapter 7: Meeting Him

**Hey guys! You all ready for Mother's Day? To tell you the truth, I'm no. :o I don't know what I'm going to do for my mom. Well, the best I can do right now is out up the next chapter for you guys! So we left off with Kaede and Ryo running for their lives to make it back to the Spirit World. And who is that mysterious person Chihiro keeps talking about? According to the title, "Him" is going to be revealed! Not a big scene, but helps Chihiro in ways others couldn't. Now, back to the story! Oh, and if you haven't noticed by now, ~~~~~ this means it's still the same POV, just at a different time. :)**

**Chapter 7: Meeting Him**

"Are you kidding me?" Ryo said. I looked at him as we were running to the forest. Our magic was running low, and if we didn't return to the Spirit World by the time the boat left...I didn't want to find out what would happen.

"What?" I asked. His conscience was coming back to him. For Ryo, it was returning home. For me, returning was going to be like going back to prison after you just escaped. And the only reason I was returning to that "prison"was because of Ryo.

"I knew this was a bad idea. Now they have you giving people letters and sending messages. They probably think you're coming back again."

"Ryo, this is the most fun I've had my whole life! That bathhouse is a prison to me. It's a prison to you, too. We are trapped from the world because of all these rules we are forced to abide with and it pisses me off."

"But by following them we won't get in trouble! We were almost caught today, and when your mother sees us-"

"C'mon, Ryo! You sound like my dad! 'When your mother sees you you're going to be in sooooooooooooooooo much trouble.'"

"All I'm saying is that we should have been a little more careful."

"How? Yuuko and Akio aren't going to say anything. They haven't about my mother, so they won't say anything about us."

"Ugh! Why are you so complicated!" I stopped in my tracks and tripped him. He fell face first and got up, very angry at me.

"I'm complicated? You're the one who's complicated!"

"How am I complicated?"  
"You're so confusing all the time! I wanted to go on an adventure so we both can get away from our lives for just one day. You even agreed with me! And then you get all angry when we leave, saying we'll get in trouble, our parents won't trust us, blah, blah, blah!"

"That's because I care what my parents think of me. You, on the other hand, seem to have given up on them completely."

"You're not their kid. You don't know what it's like with them! My mom wants me to be this, this perfect child and to be exactly like her when I don't want to be anything like her! It's bad enough that I look like my mom!" I saw the light disappearing by the second. We were close to gateway. I ran my heart out and we finally made it to building.

"Finally!" Ryo said. I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't want to start another fight. We always got along, but this was bigger than anything we've ever dealt with. Ryo screamed and I saw him fall down in front of me. I tripped on Ryo and fell on top of him.

"What was that?" I screamed.

"There's a giant rock in the middle of the hallway!" I looked back at him and realized that I was completely on top of him, and quickly got up off of him. I examined the rock. It was part of the wall, but had been taken off by someone powerful.

"It was a part of the wall," I said, He looked at it and agreed with me.

"But, how?" He asked. I didn't know at first, but I knew of one spirit that could have made this much damage.

"My father, that's how." Ryo's eyes widened.

"So they know we went to the…"

"Yes, and we're in more trouble than I thought we'd be in."

We ran through the long hallway to the other side. The river was already here. I could see the bathhouse from where we were standing. And the boat…

"Kaede…" Ryo said, looking at me with hatred, "I am going to kill you if we don't get home."

"C'mon, at least we know how to swim!" I said. I jumped into the water. It was freezing cold, but I didn't mind. I've learned to live with a lot of cold things.

"Ryo, get in the water right now!" He seemed scared. It was only water. If he drowned, I'd be here to save him. Although after that fight we had, Ryo probably didn't trust me anymore.

"I-I," he said, "I can't swim!"

"Are you serious!" I shouted, "Just get in the water, I'll swim you there!" He seemed skeptical that I would and continued to stand there, wasting time.

"C'mon! If we don't get there before the boat does, we're dead!" He finally jumped in. I swam in his direction and he held onto my shoulder.

"Thanks," he said.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just keep going." I was a fast swimmer, but with Ryo on my back I had to slow down. We caught up with the boat after some time, and I was exhausted. Ryo seemed to get the idea and began swimming on his own. He wasn't any good, but he was staying above the water.

"Kaede, what's wrong?" I was out of energy. Being in the Human World too long really took the wind out of me. I could barely move my arms in a circular motion.

"Hey! Down there!" We heard a shout come from the boat, and young boy no older than Ryo or me dropped a rope. Ryo grabbed the rope and pulled me up. I was lying on the floor, dripped wet. He was a good friend. I just wish we agreed on things most of the time.

"Thanks," I said. He nodded and sat next to me. I looked up at the boy who saved our lives. He had long red hair that went down to his fingers. His piercing green eyes stared back into mine.

"Are you two alright?" he asked. I smiled as he lent a hand to help me up.

"Yes, I believe we're fine." I replied. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought you two were goners for a second," the boy said.

"I thought so, too," I replied, "But thank goodness you were there to help."  
"No problem. I'm Raiden by the way."

"I'm Kaede," I said. Was I blushing? Was it possible? I didn't think I'd like anyone but Ryo. After that fight, we might never speak again. So it was time for a fresh start.

"And I'm Ryo," he said, butting into my fantasy.

"Well, we'll be boarding soon. You can stay here if you like."

"Okay, thanks." He winked and walked away. I took one look at Ryo and quickly turned back to the river. I didn't know how we would have gotten out of that mess. We were silent for a while. I had nothing to say, and apparently neither did he. We didn't know how to face our parents. Ryo seemed more frightened than me. I didn't care if they hated me more than they already do. I just cared about what punishment I would get.

"So…" Ryo started, "Ready to go?" I looked at him with heartbreaking eyes. I didn't want to leave. It had been such a fun day. The Human World had been so fun, and I wanted to go back and stay there forever. But Ryo was right. This was our home. I was going to have to go back eventually.

"Yes," I replied, "I think it's time to go back."

**Chihiro's POV ~ 8 hours earlier **

We were walking to the building that separated the two worlds I had come to love. Haku was trailing behind me, unable to keep up with my speed. As we stopped in front of the doorway, Haku pulled on my shoulder.

"Wait," he said, "What about him?" I looked at him with surprising eyes.

"Didn't you want to go see him?" I looked through the dark tunnel that led to home. My home. The place I had loved before this one. A lot must have changed since.

"Our daughter is more important than seeing him." I walked through and it was just as long as I remembered. Sixteen years it had been since I had last been to the Human World. I didn't know if people would recognize me, but I knew my parents would.

My parents. How would they react to seeing me? And not to visit them, but to collect my daughter who I can't control. I had to go find her, but I couldn't be noticed by anyone. Not even my parents.

"Chihiro, are you sure we should go?" Haku said, "I mean, it's been sixteen years since you last went there."

"I know," I said, sighing, "But we have to. If Kaede gets lost out there, how will we get her back?" We paused for a moment, considering the options: go after her and risk being seen by everyone or wait to see if she'll actually return home. It was a risk either way.

We walked on and saw the exit. The statue was still there like before. The trees and vegetation were all so similar. But as we continued, as I tried getting through, I was pushed back.

"Ahh!" I fell hard to the ground and Haku rushed to my aid. I had hit my head too hard these last few days. I stood up and stared forward. Why couldn't we go through?

"Haku, what's wrong? We can't go through to the other side." He walked up to the doorway, making sure not to go through what I did. He looked up at the sky and then back at me.

"What time is it?" He asked me.

"You actually think I have a watch?" I said sarcastically. He looked up at the sun for some time, and then kicked the wall. It made a huge dent, knocking a big part of it off.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He looked at me with hopeless eyes, and then stared at the ground.

"I should have known," he said, "There's a time limit."

"A…time limit?" I questioned. I knew magic had limits, but I didn't there was a time limit to some.

"Yes, at a certain time of day the gate opens and closes. When Kaede left, the gate was opened. But now…"

"We missed it," I said, "it could have been just a few minutes ago."

"I don't know exactly what time, but yes. Somewhere around midday is when the gate closes. It reopens before sundown." I couldn't bare thinking that I may not ever have seen Kaede again. The thought tore me apart. I ran out of the building crying my eyes out.

"Chihiro, wait!" Haku stopped me as I exited the building. I was crying into his shoulder and we sat down at the side of the building. He embraced me, but it did no help. The reality was that my daughter was out there in the Human World, and I knew how little she would have wanted to come home.

"Shh, everything will be fine." Haku said, trying to comfort me, "We'll bring her back." If only I had believed him for a second. There was only one way I would be sure if Kaede was coming home or not. I stood up and looked at Haku.

"Transform, now."

"Wait, what?"

"We're going to see him. Now." I told Haku, "He can tell the future. He knows if she wants to return. So we're going to see him." Haku seemed skeptical about it, but realized that I wasn't going to give up. He transformed and I sat on his back. He was going to tell me everything I needed to know, or else he would feel the wrath of an enraged mother.

We were flying for hours. He lived on the far end of the Spirit World, about a ten day's journey from the bathhouse. But with Haku, we'd get there in a matter of hours. The ride gave me time to reflect on some things. Like what to do when Kaede came home.

First off, Haku and I were going to have a long talk. If I go in there with Haku, she may go easier on me. She had always liked him more than me. I didn't know if daughters liked their father better or their mother, but I knew that Kaede certainly did not like me more than Haku. He was always good with the kids. Me? I was the boring parent. I wanted them to follow the rules and listen to what I say. Haku was more fun and exciting than I was.

But when it came to discipline, Haku was great at punishments. He always knew the right amount of punishment to give and for how long. Kaede needed something extreme, and Haku most likely knew exactly what to do.

"Haku! Right there!" We saw the large bastion where the most powerful spirit in the Spirit World lived. He was known by few, but that was because of how important he was. He could do anything he wanted. With his magic, he could destroy the entire Human World. He made Yubaba seem like an angel.

Haku lowered to the ground and I jumped off. The doors were twice as big as Haku when he's a dragon. I walked up and raised my fist to knock, but it was already opening. He knew we were coming from the start.

We walked down the hall, and it was very long. Doors and windows surrounded the walls, but he normally did his work at the end of the hall in his study. We saw maybe two or three people walk by. They were servants of his, and not many can say that they were. This bastion is so secluded that very few spirits live here. He seemed like a lonely man.

After some time, we finally made it to the end of the hall. The door was sealed shut, but as we were about to knock the doors opened. I realized he knew where we were every second. It seemed a bit creepy.

"Enter." Haku and I looked at each other, and he led the way. His office was enormous. Bookcases surrounded the walls and ceiling. He was sitting in his chair, reading, like he always did. When he finished, he levitated to one of the bookcases and put it back where it belonged.

"Welcome again," he said to us. I had told him we wouldn't come back, but he knew we would.

"Hello, again, Erikku." I replied. Haku and I bowed to him as he went to his chair again. We followed suit and stood in front of him, waiting for what he would say next.

"So, how's your delinquent daughter doing? Run away now has she?"

"How…how did you…"

"Please, Chihiro, you should know by now how great my magic is." He smiled, but I was too depressed to show any contentment.

"I told you she was bad."

"But she's not evil. Evil spirits have cold souls. She's not evil."

"Now, now. I never said she was evil. I said she would go down the path."

"Which pretty much means she's evil."

"Now look at the one who's calling her evil." He always knew how to trick me into saying things, but getting me to call my own daughter evil was terrible. She wasn't evil. Kaede just had some bad things about her.

"Please, Erikku. We need your help. Please, tell us where she is. Tell us she is safe. I want her to come back to me." I bowed my head and placed his hand on my chin, raising it.

"And why would she?" He asked. I looked at him with cold eyes. I knew she didn't like me, but to leave us forever was far greater than anything she would do. Erikku stood up and walked to his crystal ball. He waved his hands around it and in an instant, Kaede and Ryo appeared. They were running and smiling. Kaede was smiling? I hadn't seen her smile that way since she was little. She seemed to be having fun in the Human World. No danger seemed to surround her.

"Do you see?" Erikku said, "See how happy she is? Kaede loves it in the Human World. Why on earth would she want to come back?"

"Because even if she doesn't know it, she loves us. And she would never do anything like that to her family." He looked at me with no expression. I stared back, showing him I wasn't going to give up on my daughter. He stopped the crystal ball and walked away back to his chair. He was silent for seemed like an eternity. I wasn't holding up. Erikku was going to tell me no matter what.

"You're daughter and her friend will be fine, just give it some time." He finally said. I breathed a sigh of relief and held Haku's hand.

"However," he said, "There is still the problem about you're wellbeing, am I wrong?"

I looked at him with poignant eyes, hoping for the best. Sadly, not every time someone comes to him does he bring good news.

"You'd better be careful there, human girl. You wouldn't want the wrong spirit getting a hold of you, now."

"Wait, what do you mean by-" Before I could finish, he waved good-bye and we were whisked away from his sight. I held onto Haku for dear life, and when we finally stopped, I fell to the ground. The area was familiar. We had landed on the bridge to the bathhouse.

"How does he do that?" I asked Haku. He shrugged his shoulders.

"He can do anything." I smiled and laughed as we walked back to the bathhouse, hand in hand.

"Chihiro, are they here yet?" Moe had been asking me the same question since I told her what Erikku said. She couldn't wait for Ryo to come home. She wanted to hold her son and never let go. For me, I just wanted Kaede to come home because she wanted to.

Ryo loved it here. This was his home. But Kaede, on the other hand, if she had the chance to run she would take it. Now that she had, I didn't believe Erikku was telling us the truth. Kaede had a troubled past. Most of it was my fault.

"Are they here yet, Chihiro?" Moe asked again. she was pacing the front room, looking out the door to see if they were here.

"Moe," I said, "When they get here, I'll tell you. Now please, go upstairs and get some rest. You haven't slept since they left."

"How can I when Ryo is missing? He must be cold or lost or hungry or-" I placed my hands on her shoulders to calm her down.

"He has Kaede. She'll protect them from anyone who gets in their way." Moe nodded and I gave her a hug. She walked down the hall to the elevator and I continued looking for them. And my wish came true.

"Moe! Moe, they're back!" In a matter of seconds, Moe was back next to my side, staring out the window at the two figures walking towards the bathhouse. Haku came up and we all walked out the door, watching the figures grow bigger and bigger so that we could see the both of them, dripping wet.

Moe ran up to Ryo and gave him a big hug. I ran up to Kaede, but I knew she wouldn't accept my hug.

"Kaede Nushi," I said, "Are you alright? Are you safe?" I didn't care if she wasn't going to accept my hugs. I embraced her. I thought she even hugged me back for a second. But it was only for a second until she pulled away.

"I'm fine, Mom," She said, "But I wouldn't have run off if you had just listened to me." And it all began there.

"I listen to you perfectly well. It's you who goes off wandering around and scaring me half to death."

"Well don't worry, because with the amount of punishment you'll give me, I'll probably never leave this damn bathhouse."

"Hey! Watch your language!"

"Kaede, can you just be a little nicer, then-"

"You stay out of this, Ryo! I'm planning on not talking to you for the rest of eternity!"

"Fine! Be that way! You're always pushy anyways."

"Well, you're complicated!"

"Pushy!"

"Complicated!"

"Kaede!"

"Ryo!"

"Mom, let's just go." Ryo and Moe walked back in and she didn't yell at him at all.

"Kaede, please just listen-"

"Oh, and by the way, you're parents told me to give you this." Kaede handed me a letter and then ran into the bathhouse. I was frozen. I looked at the letter, staring at the writing on top. The words read, "To Our Lovely Chihiro."

"Chihiro, is that…"

"Yes." I replied, "My parents gave me a letter." I looked at him with worrisome eyes. "And they met Kaede."

**Ooooooooh...And scene! Finally, Ryo and Kaede are back. But at what price? Because of their little adventure, their friendship has now disappeared. And who's this new guy Kaede has had eyes for? Trust me, we'll see more of Raiden. Next time, we see what Chihiro and Haku are going to do to Kaede. You're going to want to see that. Just a little hint about that! :) Until next time, I bid you ado! Reviews are always helpful! (hint, hint)**

**Anabelle ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Heartbreaking Moments

**Hiya! Okay, we left off with Kaede and Ryo just returning home, and Chihiro wasn't prepared for what Kaede had to give her. What's written on the note? And how will Kaede be punished for her actions? Going to the Human World is forbidden, and when a spirit does, consequences are severe. Ryo may get off easy because of his relationship with his parents. But Kaede? She's got to watch out, because her parents don't take these things lying down. And I'm going to stop talking and give you the next chapter!**

**Chapter 8: Heartbreaking Moments**

This note was written by my father. I could tell by the handwriting. It was so distinct. I was about to open it when Haku placed his hand on mine.

"You do realize what this means, though, right?" He asked me.

"Yes," I said, "Kaede had contact with the outside world, and by reading this letter I would be doing the same. But that doesn't mean I can't take the opportunity to accept what's been given to me." Haku let go and we both read the words my parents have been dying to say since I left.

**_Dearest Chihiro,_**

**_We have missed you so much since the day we left you and Haku. It seems like you two are doing well, seeing as though Kaede looks very happy and healthy. She seems like a fun and outgoing young lady._**

"What?" I said in disbelief, "They…they like Kaede?"

"Well she did seem happy through the crystal ball." Haku pointed out.

"Yes, but…" I didn't have any words to say about it. Everyone who meets Kaede think of her as an angel, but when they see her with Haku and me, they think otherwise. Haku and I returned to the note and continued reading.

**_We wish to see you and your family one day, but that may not be possible. Your mother and I love you so very much. Kaede seems like an adventurous girl. I hope you sent her to us to tell us what a great job you and Haku have done with your lives. Your mother and I are doing fine, but we wish to have stayed with you. We are so proud of you and wish the both of you the best of luck. _**

**_Love, Mom and Dad_**

Words couldn't describe the way I was feeling. It wasn't that I didn't want to see them; it was just that I couldn't. People would recognize me, questions would arise, and who knows how subtle I'd have been. I wanted to see them, but my safety and the safety of those in the Spirit World was at stake if I went.

I ran back to the bathhouse, clutching the note for dear life. Haku followed, and we were on our way to have our little "talk" with Kaede.

"So, I assume you have a punishment for her?" I asked Haku as we rode the elevator. He placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry; she's never going to run away again." I was surprised. He never seemed like one to disappoint his children. All three of them thought of him as the fun parent. But when it came to the punishment, they thought of him like…they thought of me.

I tried pushing the thought out of my head, but it stuck like glue. My kids thought of me as a strict adult, not like their mother. I was just some stranger who gave them chores and rules to abide with. I felt like they didn't love me the way they loved Haku.

The elevator stopped and we walked out. Kaede's room was on the other side of the floor. When we got there, she was sitting on the edge, staring out at the stars. She took one look at me and turned her head quickly. At least I had Haku for backup.

"Kaede, we need to talk." He said. She looked at him with cold eyes. The air seemed to have become cooler after that.

"Just give me my punishment and I'll never do it again," she said, "At least not with Ryo."

"Well we want to make sure you're telling us the truth," he replied, "You could just be saying that so we'll go lighter on you."

"I don't need your sympathy," Kaede answered. I thought that was it. That Haku and I had lost our control of her and that she was moving on from us. But Haku stuck to his ground.

"You need to obey our rules. You can't just waltz around like you own the worlds. We are the parents, you are the child."

"I'm almost fifteen! When will you realize that I'm not a little girl anymore? When will you stop calling me your 'little princess?' I hate it! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Kaede stood up and walked to her room, lying herself on the bed.

"When you go off and disobey what we tell you, that doesn't show us that you're an adult," I shouted, "it shows us more and more what a child you are and how much you need to learn about respect."

"Open your eyes, Mom! No one respects anyone here! You talk about how Mai and Haru and I should 'respect the spirits' when you don't do a damn thing about it!"

"Hey! What did I say about your language?"

"Mom, this isn't working! I can't be who you want me to be! I'm just not as perfect as you!"

"I don't expect you to be perfect, I expect you to follow orders!"

"Well maybe I just want to do my own thing. Ever thought of how I felt about this?"

"Of course I do. I know what's best for you."

"Obviously you don't or else I wouldn't be in this prison you call a bathhouse."

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever," she replied, "just give me my punishment and leave."

"You really want your punishment that badly?" Haku asked, "I'll give it to." He walked up to her slowly, raised his right hand, and placed it on Kaede's forehead. She became very scared, and so did I. He became very still, as if he were frozen. I was anxious to see what he had in store for Kaede.

"Haku, what are you doing?" I asked. I felt like something was overpowering him, like he couldn't control what he was doing. But I remembered this side of him. This was his angry side. When I first accepted the job Yubaba gave me, he gave me the cold shoulder. He ignored me when I apologized. I felt lonely and that he was going to do something unforgivable. But this was Haku, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Just wait," he said, closing his eyes. I heard him murmur a spell. A glowing light surrounded Kaede. It was as golden as the sun, and it exited Kaede's body. It was now in Haku's hand, and he showed it to her, smiling. I was completely and utterly confused at that moment, but soon, everything became clear.

"This is your magic," he said, "I am taking it from you until you can show your mother and me some respect." Kaede's mouth dropped; as did mine. I did not think he would go that far to punish her.

"What!" She screamed, "You...you can't do that!"

"I believe I can," he said, waving her magic around, "and that's not all." He handed me her magic and I held it with care. We all walked out to the edge. Haku waved his arms around and instantly, a blue light surrounded the bathhouse. It was a large square, only reaching as far out as the end of the bridge.

"You cannot pass this border," he said, "This is as far as you can go. Try running away through that and…well, I don't think you want to find out."

"That's not fair!" Kaede cried, "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Ask yourself that question," Haku replied, taking her magic from my hands. He placed it in his coat and crossed his arms.

"When you realize how wrong you have been, the spell will wear off and I will return your magic. So I'd better think long and hard about all the pain you caused a lot of us, young lady." Haku walked away and I followed. It was more intense than I thought. Haku had gone further than any time before. This was beyond anything I thought he could do. When we were a good distance away from Kaede, I couldn't resist asking.

"How did you do that?" I asked. We stopped by our door and he sighed.

"It was a spell I learned from my father." Haku answered, "He used it on me once before, when I did something I wasn't supposed to do."

"Well, what did you do?" I was very curious. There were still many things I didn't know about Haku, and some things he didn't know about me that I preferred to be kept a secret.

"Exactly what Kaede did," He replied, "I went to the Human World."

"Really? But why?"

"Let's just say there was someone I needed to see," He smiled and put his arm around my neck.

"But wha-" he placed a finger by my mouth, indicating that there was no need to go any further in that conversation.

"Alright," I said. He smiled and gave me kiss as we walked into our room.

**Kaede's POV**

I couldn't believe what had just happened. My own father had just taken away my ability as a spirit. Now, I was just a normal spirit. I had no magic whatsoever. All I had to do was come clean and apologize.

It couldn't have been that simple. I had to really feel sorry. But how could I when there was nothing to be sorry about? I didn't feel any regret for going to the Human World. The only thing worth regretting was inviting Ryo along.

Why couldn't he just have been a little more lenient and not a conscience all the time? He may have been my best friend, but we were complete opposites. Maybe that's why I liked him so much. He wasn't afraid to be himself, even if we didn't agree on anything.

But that was over. How could I like someone who I wasn't even friends with anymore? That crush, or whatever I thought was one, was officially over. For good.

"Ughh!" I threw my pillow at the wall and laid back, staring at the wall. What had my life turned into? I felt like a slave in my own home. Poor Rapunzel trapped in her tower, unable to leave and be free.

It took hours for me to finally fall asleep. I kept dreaming about the adventures we had. Having the courage to go through the tunnel and make it to the other side, having contact with humans, and even seeing my grandparents. I already missed them. Too bad I couldn't go back now.

**Ryo's POV**

"Man, why is she always such a pain?" I kept pacing the floor, wondering what Kaede's parents were doing to her. At least my punishment was only minor compared to what she was probably getting. Kaede had a way of making her punishments one to never forget.

"I need to find out what's going on up there." I climbed out of my window and used my magic to make my hands like a gluey residue, as I always did when I went to see Kaede. I guess those days are over until we sort this whole thing out.

As I reached the platform to her room, I heard Kaede's parents talking to her, and not in a good way.

"Kaede," her father said, "we need to talk."

"Just give me my punishment and I'll never do it again," she said, "At least not with Ryo." I wanted to get up there and tell her off, but that would have blown my cover. I had to stay hidden. Otherwise my punishment would have been just as bad as hers. At least my parents still gave me their trust. Kaede probably would never be trusted again. Not even by me.

"I'm almost fifteen! When will you realize that I'm not a little girl anymore? When will you stop calling me your 'little princess?' I hate it! I'm not a kid anymore!" Kaede stood up and walked to her room. It became harder to hear what they were saying, but I did perceive one thing Master Kohaku had said.

"You really want your punishment that badly?" Master Kohaku asked, "I'll give it to." That didn't sound too good. I could hear her mother sounding anxious as to what he would do. I started to sweat just thinking about how bad her punishment would be.

"This is your magic," he said, "I am taking it from you until you can show your mother and I some respect."

"Oh my God," I said. How could someone take a spirit's magic from them? That seemed unlawful. It scared me that Master Kohaku could do something like that.

"What!" She screamed, "You...you can't do that!" I had heard enough. I couldn't bear to listen Kaede go through all this pain. I retreated back to my room, and no one knew I was there for a second. I tried to shake it out of my head, that he really didn't do that to her, but it was true. And she would never forgive him for that. She probably wouldn't forgive me, even if she was the one who caused us both this pain.

"Why can't you see that I'm trying to do what's best for you?" I said to myself, "Why do you have to be so daring and outrageous? So...funny and adorable? So…beautiful?" I looked out my window, up to where her room was. "Why do I feel this way about you, when you don't feel the same about me?"

**Oh snap! ****Did anyone see that coming? Of course Ryo loves her! But will she ever love him back? After that adventure I'd bet money that Kaede would never talk to him again. But without passage to leave the bathhouse, they're going to be seeing each other a lot. This is only the beginning; Kaede's decisions become more and more important as this goes on, and it will affect more than just the bathhouse...**

**Anabelle ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: Family Disputes

**Hi! So who's excited to read the next chapter? Now, there's a lot of POV switching, so I clarified who says what. :) Based on the title, you can kind of get an idea of what's going to happen. There are so many problems going on that Chihiro just can't handle them all at once. Yuki and Kage are back again! We'll be seeing them more often now. And I present to you, Chapter 9. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9: Family Disputes**

It was day one without magic. I had just woken up as the sun was rising to start the day. The rays were as blinding as they always were. Just watching the sunrise made the days feel better. I remembered how my mother and I would just sit here and watch the sky, day or night, rain or shine. It was my most memorable moments with her. Before she became dictatorial.

I walked down to the kitchen and made myself breakfast. I slammed into the door, falling down hard. I rubbed my hand on my head, remembering that my father took my magic from me the night before. Things were going to be tough without relying on my magic for everything.

Manually, I opened the door and made breakfast. I was a vegetarian, like my mother. Most spirits loved meat, and I never knew why. Meat came from the animals they swore to protect. It seemed unlawful to do so.

I took my bread roll and walked out to the main room of the bathhouse. No one was awake yet, since the sun was barely up. I was always up around this time to watch the sunrise…with Ryo.

I shook my head, trying to get the image of "him" out of my head. It was too painful to think we may never have been friends again. He was one of my only friends here at the bathhouse. Of course, I did have Rin, who's lived here since Haru and Mai were born, but Ryo and I have known each other since the day we were born.

I needed to let it pass. Eventually, Ryo would apologize and everything would be fine. We would be friends again, we would talk more, and maybe there would be a chance for us to be a couple. But I didn't think he was feeling the same way. After that night, I was skeptical if he ever would.

Assuming my position at work, I filled a bucket, by hand, with water and grabbed a rag. I tied my uniform to one side so it wouldn't get dirty. My mother taught me how to do so from when she worked here. I remembered her telling me that she was only ten when she started working at the bathhouse. It must have been hard work for someone at her age.

I went up and down an imaginary line, cleaning every inch that was in my way. I had become very fast at this, but without my magic to keep me balanced, it took me a long time to get it all clean.

I went to check what my duties were today. I shared jobs with Ryo and Rin mostly, but I was happy to see that my mom placed Ryo with someone else today. Rin and I had to work with the Ootori-Sama. The birds loved to bathe, so Kamajii was going to have to get a lot of water ready for today. The Ootori-Sama came by the dozens, so Rin and I were going to need more help.

"You're up early," I turned around and saw Rin standing with her back against the wall. I tried to force a smile, but couldn't.

"Yeah, I guess so." I replied, walking to one of the bathtubs. Rin checked the schedule and soon entered with sponges and a water bucket. I started cleaning the tubs without saying a word. She probably hated me right now for leaving without her. Rin and I did everything, with the exception of Ryo. I should have brought her instead; she wouldn't have been so demanding to get home. I'd have liked to say she was an exact replica of my Aunt Emi, but I haven't seen her throughout my entire life. What I do know about her, though, is that she couldn't wait to get away from this bathhouse. Rin has had the same dream as me as long as I could remember.

"So," Rin began, ending the silence, "You had me worried sick when you left."

"I know! I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before! It was such a quick decision and I didn't have any time to tell you and I thought it would be a fun and exciting journey with Ryo and you know how I felt and-"

"Hey! Relax, I'm not mad," Rin said, "I completely understand. If I was running away from my parents at the dead of night, I probably wouldn't have told you, too."

"Really? Why not?"

"Well, you'd be the first person they'd go to! If I told you where I was going, then I wouldn't have made it. You're parents went to me and I had no idea you had gone!"

"Oh," I said, understanding her reason, "I get it. But really, I would have much rather had you come along than that traitor."

"Yeah, I heard you guys had a fight about the whole 'adventure.' Are you two going to be okay?" I sighed and looked away, cleaning the bath again. I wished Ryo and I would be fine, but I wasn't too sure.

"I don't think we'll be talking much for a while," I answered.

"I saw that Ryo wasn't working with us today," Rin said, "I'm guessing your parents really do care about how you feel sometimes." I didn't look at her. I knew they cared, I just didn't think they cared enough. My life was complicated, and they just made it even more difficult.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just finish this and get to the next one."

**Chihiro's POV**

I woke up late in the morning. As I stretched my arms, I looked next to me and saw there was nothing under the covers. Haku had actually gotten up earlier than me? He did have a bad night with Kaede. She probably hates him just as much as me. Or more.

Kaede was such a troubled adolescent. She had gone through so much as a child. When the twins were born, Kaede was left in shadows while they were the main attraction. And I tried so hard to get her to be a good person that I became domineering. I pressured her to do good when I was doing the opposite.

Things had changed since she was my "little girl." Now, she barely let's me call her my daughter. I didn't know if it was humiliation or just loathing. I thought it might have been both. After what Erikku had said about Kaede when she was baby, I was worried his predictions would become reality. I thought I made them reality.

"MOM!" Kaede said, opening the door to my room, "Aunt Yuki is looking for you!"

"Okay, tell her I'll be down in a minute." As she left, I departed my bed and started the day. Yuki and Kage worked at the bathhouse part-time, so we saw them quite frequently. Yuki was my best friend here at the bathhouse, and we talked nonstop when she came.

"Yuki, hi!" I said as I walked out of the elevator to her. She waved and walked towards me.

"Good afternoon, Chihiro," She said, "You sure decided to take the morning off." I laughed at the sound of that. She always was jealous that I got to sleep in most days when she had to work the morning shift.

"I saw Kaede was here pretty early," Yuki said, "earlier than her normal time."

"It must have been about what happened last night," I told her, "Haku gave her a…little talk about her disappearance."

"Sounds to me like it wasn't so little," she pointed out, "Care to explain?"

I sighed and we walked to the bridge. It was a cool afternoon, and the air was still. The river was low; the train tracks were completely visible.

"So, what really happened last night?"

"Haku went mad; I thought something had come over him. He wasn't being himself."

"That's like Kage sometimes," Yuki said, "he can act like the sweetest spirit alive and then completely change into-"

"A monster," I finished. We looked at each other with fear. Haku and Kage were the most thoughtful men we knew. They would risk their lives for us, and already have a couple of times. But the way they acted when something or someone really pissed them off, they turned into monsters.

"Haku went so far he took away Kaede's magic."

"Wha-what?" Yuki asked in shock, "How does he know how to do that?"  
"He said his father did that to him when he was younger; actually, by doing the same as Kaede did. He went to the Human World."

"Oh, well that explains it." Yuki said. I gave her a quizzical look. Explained what?  
"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Well, don't you get it?" I shook my head and Yuki began laughing. I didn't think any of this was funny.

"It's obvious that he went to see you!" I was taken back. Haku went to the Human World to find me?

"What? No, it couldn't have been for me," I told her, "We didn't even know each other until I was ten!"

"But you did meet before when you were little, when you were drowning in his river?" Now things were making sense.

"He must have gone back to find you and see how you were doing!"

"Oh," I said, looking out passed the bridge, "So, Haku went back…to find me?"

"I can't say for sure, but it seems like the only logical explanation."

"Yeah, when has anything in this world been logical?" We chuckled and returned to the bathhouse. It only took five minutes of me being gone for everything to turn chaotic. The word "fight" was being said time and time again. Everyone was gathered in the front room surrounding two people. Surprisingly, they were Haku and Kage.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" I waved my arms and pushed the spirits away so I could get into the center. Haku had Kage by the neck and Kage was clinging onto Haku's torso, ready to throw him out the window.

"Haku!" I shouted.

"Kage!" Yuki shouted.

"Dad!" I hoped that was Kaede worried for her father's sake, but it was only Hamano worried about Kage. Kaede was nowhere to be seen. Yuki and I got into the fight and tried to break them apart. I grabbed Haku's arm and with all my strength, releasing it from Kage's neck. As Yuki was grabbing Kage and pulling him off of Haku, things took an unexpected turn.

"Yuki, watch out!" I screamed, but it was too late. Kage had already done it. Yuki was on the floor, blood dripping from her mouth. Kage came back to give Haku a black eye, but his fist went too far back and knocked Yuki down. Silence filled the air. No more "fight," no more screaming, just the sound of two tired men's breathing. Yuki touched her lips and felt the blood trickling down. She stood up and stared at Kage with fear. He looked at her with sorrow. She was angry and disappointed, but above all else, she was scared.

Yuki ran away crying out of the bathhouse.

"What's the matter with you? Both of you! You two are supposed to act like brothers, not enemies! Now Yuki is hurt and Kage, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Kage stared at his feet, and Haku stared at me. I gave him the cold eye, telling him to fix whatever the problem was.

"You two are grown men, start acting like it! What lesson are you teaching your children by acting their age?" I turned around and ran to the elevator. By now, Yuki would have already been gone, but I needed to talk with her.

**Haku's POV, twenty minutes earlier**

I had just returned from my daily visit to Kamajii. Every morning I went to the boiler room, asking how work was and how he was feeling. He hadn't left the bathhouse since the day Chihiro and I became the owners of the bathhouse.

"Haku!" I heard my name being called by an old friend. Kage, his wife, Yuki, and their children had just arrived. Hamano went looking for Kaede while Taro went upstairs. He, along with my other two children, was too young to work in the bathhouse. Kaede started working here when she almost thirteen.  
"Kage," I said, shaking his hand, "Glad to see you again."

"Hey, when a brother needs help, I'm there." I nodded and turned to Yuki.

"I think Chihiro is still upstairs. When I got out of bed she was sound asleep!"

"Well, isn't she the lucky one, now," Yuki said, "She can get up and work whenever she wants." Yuki chuckled and walked away to sign in.

"Kaede," I said, calling her away from work. Slowly, she walked up to me. I hadn't seen her since the night before. She didn't look at me directly. She stared at my shoes.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Can you tell your mother Aunt Yuki is here?" Kaede nodded and walked away, without another word. She was still mad, but that reasonable. I took away the most precious thing she had.

"Ouch," Kage said, "What happened with her? She seems down, like more than usual." I sighed and sat down. Kage sat next to me, and I told him everything that had happened the night before.

"Wow," he said, "I…I never knew you held so much power."

"Neither did I," I replied, "I mean, I knew how my father did it, and I was just so angry with Kaede. She treats us like…like…"

"Like how Yubaba treated you?" I turned my head quickly.

"Well, I guess. But Yubaba was an evil witch at the time. Kaede would never be like that."

"I don't know about that," Kage said, standing up, "Didn't Erikku tell you she would go down the wrong path?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean she's evil."

"Hey, believe what you want, but Erikku knows what he's talking about."

"Are saying that my daughter is going to be an evil witch?"

"Call it what you want, but mark my words; that girl needs to be disciplined."

"Chihiro and I will raise our daughter the way we feel we should."

"How's that working for you?" I lost control. I was already on top of Kage, ready to rip his throat out. How dare he talk about my daughter that way! Kage threw me off and I caught my fall. We charged at each other. We were head-to-head, my fists in his. I kneed him in the stomach and he lost balance, giving me the opportunity.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Now, everyone was watching. I grabbed Kage by the neck and he grabbed my torso.

"You will _not_ talk about my daughter that way!"

"I'm only speaking the truth! You need to be careful with her!"  
"I know how to raise my children! Worry about your own!" I was tightening my grip, as was Kage. Someone was going to get seriously injured if no one interfered.

"Haku!" Chihiro shouted.

"Kage!" Yuki shouted.

"Dad!" I looked to see who that was, only to see Hamano staring at the brawl with worrisome eyes.

"Where's your daughter now?" Kage said. Chihiro was pulling my arm from Kage's neck and Yuki was pulling Kage away from me. We were too strong for the two of them. Kage was ready to end this. He pulled his arm back, but his fists made the wrong move.

"Yuki, watch out!" Yuki went down, and everyone was staring at her. Kage turned around, only to find the love of his life lying on the ground, her lips bleeding.

It was too quiet. Our breaths were the only thing anyone could hear. Yuki lifted her finger to her mouth and saw the blood. She stared at the both of us. Scared of what Kage might do next, she ran out of the bathhouse, crying her eyes out.

"What's the matter with you? Both of you! You two are supposed to act like brothers, not enemies! Now Yuki is hurt and Kage, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Kage stared at his feet, and I stared at Chihiro. She gave me the cold eye. I had to fix this, but Kage threw me over the edge.

"You two are grown men, start acting like it! What lesson are you teaching your children by acting their age?" She turned around and ran to the elevator. I couldn't even look at Kage. He was supposed to be my brother. He was supposed to support me when things like this happened. But he was starting to act like my foe instead.

**Looks like Haku and Kage are turning into Kaede and Ryo. Yuki must feel so frightened right now of Kage. Both Chihiro and she knew how they couldn't control themselves. Haku and Kage had a bad side, like most people do. How will all of this be resolved? Chihiro has so many problems going on: Her daughter is beocming the teenager most girls become, she feels as if her life is in danger, and now her husband is turning into a monster. What will she do now? Stay tuned! Reviews always make me happy!  
**

***Ootori-Sama are the birds. In the movie, we saw them for a few seconds. **

**Anabelle ;)**


	10. Chapter 10: The Mysterious Guest

**Hey! Sorry it's been a while; I had final exams this week and boy were they hard! But I passed all my classes and now I'm back writing! I may be updating longer than usual since I have a lot of summer activities. :) But, here it is! Chapter 10; a little short, but very mysterious...**

**Chapter 10: The Mysterious Guest**

"Hey," Rin said, walking up to me with a mop and a bucket, "did you hear what just happened?"

"No, what?" I asked. Rin loved to gossip. She was always telling me the juicy details about what was going on with everyone in the bathhouse. She kept me up-to-date with the latest news.

"Your dad and uncle just got into a huge fight!" My eyes opened wide. My dad and Uncle Kage almost never argued about anything. They seemed as close as brothers, even if they weren't blood related. Now they were acting like Mom and me.

"Are you serious?" I asked her.

"No joke, I swear. It got so bad that when your mom and aunt tried to break it up, your aunt got hit by your uncle. I feel so bad for her right now." I didn't like this at all. I had to go find her. Aunt Yuki was closer to me than my own mother. I had to know what happened.

"Rin, do you know where she went?"

"She just ran out and disappeared. I think your mom is looking for her right now." I ran outside and walked up to the bridge. Did she go to the Human World like I did? I ran in the direction of the gate, but something stopped me. Right as I was about to cross the bridge, a bright blue light appeared.

"Oh, right." I said. It only took me five minutes to forget that I was trapped here until I could "apologize for my reckless behavior." I slowly returned to the bathhouse and walked up to Rin.

"I thought you had left by now."

"I can't," I replied, "I…I…"

"You what?" I didn't know how to tell her that I was stripped of my magic. It was hard for me to even deal with it. But since Rin was my best friend, I knew I could trust her.

"Last night when my parents had the 'talk' with me about my 'careless attitude,' my dad sort of…um…he sort of took my magic away." Rin stepped back in horror. It was terrifying for me as well.

"Are you kidding?" She asked, "I didn't know he could do that!"

"Neither did I," I replied, "it just came out of the blue! I didn't think he would go as far as taking my magic away. I mean, without my magic, I feel like…like…"

"Like me?" Rin sighed after saying that. She was born without magic and every time I used my powers, it just reminded her that she would never be able to use magic.

"No! No, not at all! I was just venting, I didn't mean-"

"I know, I know," Rin said, "Sorry; you know how emotional I get about these things. I just…wish that I could be like you or your parents."

"But you can be great at other things! Kamajii has been teaching you new potions, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Rin smiled and grabbed the mop from her hand.

"Now, let's clean these baths so we can end this work day and just have some fun." We both laughed and went to the baths.

After almost an hour of cleaning, Rin and I finally were able to finish the last bath.

"Finally!" I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead, "I didn't think we would make it!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Rin said. We both laughed as we exited the small baths' area. As we were walking to the waiting area to rest, Osamu walked up to us.

"Kaede, Rin, you both have some customers on the way."

"What!" I shouted, "We just finished cleaning those baths a few minutes ago! And now we have to work again? Can't we at least have a five minute break?"

"Orders from the top now get moving!" He walked away as my face grew red with anger. Leave it to my mother to have given me longer hours while she got to skip work whenever she could.

I walked up to the front and an old spirit stood up. I looked at him with disgust. He seemed to have been a stink spirit, but he acted more like a higher spirit than that. Stink spirits were the lowest kinds, and when they came here most were turned away. Their conditions were irreversible.

"Hello," the old spirit said, "I believe it's my turn for a bath."

"Right this way," I said, not even putting a smile on my face. I led him to the main bathing area. We were only allowed to use a normal bath token for our regular customers, but I knew this particular spirit needed an herbal soak token.

"Hey, I need an herbal soak token," I said to Osamu. He looked at me with confusion. I gave him my interrogation stare, and decided not to ask questions.

"Here," Osamu said, handing me the token, "but if your mother finds out you know who'll get in trouble."

"Me, that's who." I walked away and returned to the patient customer. I went to the box and latched the token onto the rope that went to Kamajii.

"It will only take a little while longer, sir." I said. He was resting in the bath and looked at me. I was sitting on the bench the employees use when waiting for the customers to finish their baths.

"Something troubles you, little one," he said to me. I looked up and saw him staring at me. I sat back and pouted.

"Well, aren't you the smart one," I replied.

"Now, is that any way to treat an old spirit like me?" I looked at him and he smiled.

"My name is Kazue," he said.

"I'm Kaede," I replied. Kazue held out his hand and I shook it. He seemed like someone who could possibly help me.

"So, why troubles you, Kaede?" He asked. The water shoot came down and I walked to pull the lever.

"I hate my life," I said to him, pulling the lever, "everything just doesn't go the way I want it to."

"Well, life isn't like a fairytale, you know."

"Yes, but I always believed my life would be. Instead, I got bossy parents, two annoying siblings, and someone I thought would have been…could have been…" I didn't even finish the sentence. Ryo made me so mad. I wanted to be friends with him again, but I knew I couldn't.

"Ah…I see," Kazue said, "you're in love." I looked at him and blushed. Was it truly love? Of course I had known him since the day I was born, but did I really love him?

"I…I guess you could call it that."

"And your parents," Kazue continued, "you wish they would listen to you?" I nodded and sat back on my little bench.

"I think I may have something for you," he said, relaxing in the bath. My eyes opened wide. Who could fix what was going on with me? Only a really powerful spirit.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned.

"How would you like it if I could give you the life you deserve?" Now, I was very interested. "If you get these certain items for me, then I can guarantee you that your parents will listen and understand what it is you are feeling."

I was taken back. Could he actually do that for me? I wanted my fairytale ending so badly, so I told him to continue.

"I need certain items from your parents," he said, "I will tell you the first item and after that I'll tell you the second, then third." I nodded and he prolonged. "The first item I will need is a lock of hair. From your mother, of course."

"A lock of hair?" I asked. It would be hard getting that since my mother recently had an encounter with her hair; she became extra cautious after that.

"Well, just one strand. Only enough for the potion." I nodded and agreed to get it. Kazue stepped out of the bath and I gave him a towel. He paid me far greater than anyone ever had before.

"I will return in twenty-four hours for the ingredient. If you don't have it here by then, I'm afraid the deal will be broken." And just like that, Kazue disappeared, leaving me with more questions than answers.

**Kazue has a way for Kaede to get her way. Knowing Kaede, she'll do anything to get what she wants. Next chapter we'll go back and see what's going on with Yuki and Chihiro. But for now, just keep reading and reviewing and I'll have the next one up in no time! Thanks!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	11. Chapter 11: Strength of Will

**Hi! Here's the next chapter for you! Last chapter was pretty hectic with the new visitor and all, but we're taking a break from that. We will see Kaede, but this will mostly focus on Chihiro and what she did after her little argument with Haku and Kage. I hope you all enjoy this! :)**

**Chapter 11: Strength of Will**

Work was done and I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. How was I supposed to get a strand of hair from my mother without her questioning me? She already doesn't trust me. Getting that hair was like finding a needle in a hay stack, guarded by a hundred men.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" I said to myself. Lately I had no one to talk to, so talking to myself was the only option I had.

"I have to find a way to get the hair."

"And fast." I quickly turned my head to see the person standing at my door. It was Rin. I hadn't told her about Kazue. I didn't know how she would react. She seemed like a delinquent girl, just like me. But when it came to what she knew was right, Rin was like Ryo.

"Rin," I said, "I…you don't…"

She put her hand up and said, "Save it, you'll need your breath to convince your mom how to give you a piece of her hair without her knowing it's for a secret potion to change their minds about you." She smiled and joined me. We weren't supposed to be out of our rooms after closing. Ryo was never caught, but that was because he was good at sneaking around. I missed it when he would come to room and help me with all of my problems. Rin was a good friend, but Ryo and I had become really close of the years. Too close if you ask me.

"So how do I do this? I mean, I can't just say, 'Hey, Mom, can I have a strand of hair?' I'll sound stupid! And knowing my mother, she'll start questioning me."

"I don't know what to tell you," Rin replied, "But you better find a way before that man comes back tomorrow."

"How did you even know about it?" She laughed as if I didn't know the answer. It made me feel awkward because I didn't.

"You know no secret can go unnoticed by me," She said. I laughed. Rin had eyes and ears everywhere around the bathhouse. She knew everything that was going and when. I could always count on her for a little gossip now and then. Before Rin left, I stopped her.

"Wait," I said, "Do you think that...you could work tomorrow with Ryo and see how he's doing? Just to check up on him." She turned around, smiled, and nodded. I could always count on her.

**Chihiro's POV, a few hours earlier**

"You two are grown men, start acting like it! What lesson are you teaching your children by acting their age?" I turned around and ran to the elevator. By now, Yuki would have already been gone, but I needed to talk with her.

"Oh, Yuki, where have you gone now?" I ran to Mai and Haru's room. On their desk laid the communications ring. I grabbed it and put it on. I twisted the dial and pointed it towards the wall.

"Yuki!" I shouted. On the wall I saw Yuki, but it was only a hologram. Her face showed so much sadness. On her right cheek, a mark about an inch long ran along her face. She looked at me and sighed, knowing that I had found her. Obviously she didn't want that to happen.

"Chihiro, please. Not now."

"Yuki, just talk to me. Where are you?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about her." Next to Yuki was an old witch wearing a blue dress and jewelry everywhere she could place it. Her pimple was almost as large as her nose, and I knew instantly that this was Zeniba, Yuki's mother. How did I not know she would have gone to her mother's house?

"Zeniba," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. At least Yuki didn't go anywhere too far. Now getting there was going to be a problem.

"Don't worry, Chihiro, Yuki told me the whole story."

"Yeah, but Kage didn't mean it! It was an accident!" Zeniba looked at Yuki, but she turned away. Yuki and Kage were having problems like that before. She never went into full detail, but I could always see it in her eyes.

"Why don't you come over, Chihiro," Zeniba said, "I may need a little more help than I thought."

"Well, how am I going to get there? I can't fly and Haku certainly isn't in the mood to fly me there and back." Zeniba tapped her chin, and then snapped her fingers. She looked at the holographic figure and grabbed my shirt, pulling me through to the other side. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of Zeniba's kitchen with a puzzled look on my face.

"How…how did you…" I was very confused. Most things in this world confused me, and that was just something minor compared to the things I've seen.

"You should know by now how powerful I am." She smiled and started to laugh. I looked at Yuki, but she just shrugged.

"Yuki, Kage didn't mean it. I don't even know why they started that fight."

"You know this isn't the first time," Yuki said, "I told you earlier, he can't control himself. It's like…something is overpowering him, like-"

"Like he's a puppet on a string," I said. She looked at me with stunned eyes.

"That's…exactly how it is."

"It's the same with Haku. Sometimes I feel he's like a whole other person!" Zeniba sat down next to Yuki. She was thinking about the current situation. Things were getting too hectic, and she was noticing.

"Maybe they really are," Yuki and I turned to her. Zeniba didn't even look at us. She just stared at the door, deep on thought.

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"I mean, I think something, or someone, is controlling Kohaku and Kage."

"How could that be?" I asked. I didn't know of any way that a spirit could control another. It seemed like dark magic.

"Control slugs." We all turned around and saw Yubaba standing in the doorway. She was hard to tell from Zeniba, but their attitudes differentiated the twins.

"Wait, you mean that bug you put in Haku when he was your apprentice?" I asked her. She nodded and sat down next to us.

"Those control slugs do whatever the controller says. They could even control their thoughts." I was taken back. I never knew they could be so powerful.

"So, you think that control slugs could actually be controlling Haku and Kage?" Once again, Yubaba nodded.

"They could do anything," she said, "they were the reason why Kohaku stole Zeniba's golden seal and why he was so harsh on you back then." It made sense. It didn't seem like Haku free willingly did those orders for Yubaba.

"There is a way we could find out," Zeniba said, "Bring the two of them here tomorrow and we'll take care of the rest." I looked at Yuki and she smiled.

"I guess it could work," she said, "but if he doesn't have the control slug, then that means Kage is truly turning into a monster." She covered her eyes with her hands, unable to bear the thought of that every happening. Zeniba placed her hands on her shoulders, comforting her.

"Now, now, Yuki, everything will be alright. You've known Kage longer than any of us. You should know what a sweetheart he can be." Yuki looked up at Zeniba and smiled.

"Thank you, Mother." Zeniba and Yuki had the kind of relationship I wish I had had with my mother. After I became a teenager, we grew distant from each other.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked behind to see Yubaba.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," Yubaba said, "did…you…find…it…yet?"

I sighed and said, "No, Yubaba. Not yet. Just give me a hint!"

"NO! You must find it on your own with no help from anyone!"

"But how will I know what to look for when you won't give me a measly clue as to what I am finding?" She paused for a moment, realizing I was right.

"I'll only say this: you've seen this item before, and you gave it to me a long time ago. Now, I am returning it to you." Yubaba smiled and I just chuckled. Yubaba was a secretive person. It was going to be hard finding this item.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. She walked away and opened the door to Boh's room. He was sound asleep, and I was going to make sure I didn't make any loud noises to wake him up. Last time, Yubaba wanted to kill me.

"Good," she said, closing the door. "Now, don't get any ideas! If you wake him up I'll get you for sure." That was a promise. Deciding Yubaba wasn't fooling around, I grabbed Yuki's hand and slowly walked to the door.

"Okay," I said, "I think we'll just go now, right Yuki?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," she said, also scared of her Aunt Yubaba. She turned to Zeniba and smiled. "Thanks, Mom. I knew I could count on you to help me."

"Anytime, sweetie. Now go and tell Kohaku and Kage they need to see me first thing in the morning, alright?" We nodded and departed from the old witches' cottage. I didn't think I was ready to see Haku just yet, and Yuki certainly wasn't ready to see Kage. I was going to have to tell them myself, no matter how hard it would be.

**Oooh. So many secrets. So many lies. SO MUCH DRAMA! Haha :) What is it that Yubaba is trying to get Chihiro to find? And is it true about Kage and Haku? Are they really being controlled by someone? Who would do that? So many questions, so little answers! You'll just have to wait for the answers to come! :) Reviews are always helpful and I'd love to hear what each and everyone of you think of this! The more reviews I get, the faster I update! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	12. Chapter 12: Truths and Misfortunes

**Hey! I was hoping to put this up yesterday but fanfiction wouldn't let log in. Don't know why! Anyway, we left off with Kaede asking Rin to talk to Ryo for her and Chihiro and Yuki worried about their husbands. We only see Chihiro for a while, but next chapter we will see them! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: Truths and Misfortunes**

"Kaede! Get up!" I was in no mood to get up. I couldn't sleep the night before and when I did, it only lasted for a few minutes. I hadn't felt that tired in years. My mother was pounding on the door, screaming my name out.

"Kaede! Now!" She walked away as threw my pillow at the door. I missed my morning shift, so now she was going to make me work later today. Being the daughter of the bathhouse owner was not a treat.

I slowly climbed out of bed and started the day. I was in no mood to see anyone at the moment, and Mai came up to me at the wrong time.

"Hi, Kaede!" She screamed, "Want to play dollhouse with me?"

"No," I said, "I'm too old to be playing dolls with my younger sister."

"Please!" Mai said, begging on her knees, "Just for a little bit!"

"No!" They always got their way, and I always tried making sure that didn't happen. Mai and Haru were going to have to learn how to survive in this world the hard way, and I was going to be their teacher.

"Actually, Kaede," My mom said as she walked up to me, "I need you to play with Mai and Haru today while your father and I have to do some…away business."

"But Mom!" Begging was going to do me no good. She was still going to make me play with them. And if she was gone all day, I was not going to get the hair sample in time.

"No buts," She said, "Your father and I will be back before the bathhouse closes. You can skip your chores today but only if you work the night shift, since you slept in this morning, and keep your siblings entertained. I don't want to find someone hurt or upset when I come back, got it?" I nodded and she patted my shoulder.

"I'll pay you extra for this, thank you." She embraced me. I didn't say a word. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction she wanted. She left and I was stuck with the twins of terror.

"Kaede, come on!" Mai grabbed my arm and pulled me to their room. It was chaos in there. I had never seen a messier room, not even mine was ever this cluttered.

"Dollhouse! Dollhouse!" Mai pulled on my arm and forcefully made me stay in her room. I was trapped.

"Alright," I said in defeat, "let's play dollhouse."

"Yay!" Mai was always the annoying little sister. I always had to do things for her or play with her whenever she wanted me to, but no one did that for me. When I was her age and I wanted someone to play with me, my parents said to go play with Kamajii. They never had any time to spend with their only child. Then, Mai and Haru come along and they got all the attention. It just wasn't fair.

**Ryo's POV**

I woke up extra early today. I knew that Kaede had the morning shifts, so I decided to help her. We needed to talk. I saw her the day before, but she didn't even look at me. Not even Rin would. It was clear that she took Kaede's side.

I looked at the board and saw that today, same as the day before, I was not with Kaede and Rin. I sighed and went to my assigned duty. I was supposed to clean the tubs this morning. At least I didn't have to clean the big tub. That was the worst job anyone could ever have to do.

"Hey, Ryo," I turned around and saw Rin standing in the doorway. She was Kaede's best friend, after me. All three of us would do everything together. It seemed weird that my only friends were girls, but I felt lucky to have them around. Now, it seemed that Rin was on the edge, unable to choose me or Kaede.

"Uh, hi." I said back. She just stayed there, staring at me. I didn't know what to think of it. it was creeping me out.

"Did you want to ask me something?" I asked. She had to have come here for a reason. We haven't spoken since before the "adventure" Kaede and I took. What could she want with me now?

"Actually, yes," She said, walking closer to me, "I want to know what really happened between you and Kaede." My eyes opened wide. I didn't even know what happened to us. It was all so sudden. I just wanted to help.

"I…I don't like talking about it." I turned away, hoping she would go back to work. But Rin was persistent. She never gave up.

"Well, I want to hear it," she said, "I want to know the truth."

"I'm sure Kaede already told you."

"Sure she did, but you know how good Kaede is at bending the truth. You never lie." It was true. I was a terrible liar, so I learned it was best to tell the truth all the time.

"Yeah, but I…" I was nervous. It was hard dealing with it. Maybe by telling someone I can get some help and advice.

"Okay," I finally said, "I'll tell you." She clapped and sat down next to me. Rin always got way too excited about the gossip around the bathhouse.

"When Kaede and I were leaving the Human World, we had an argument. I said it was risky to have been so straightforward with her grandparents, but all she cared about was having an adventure. I tried reasoning with her, but Kaede is so stubborn!" I was letting my anger get the best of me.

"So, she was mad at you because you were trying to help her?" I nodded, and Rin sat back.

"Well, you know Kaede. She always has to be right."

"But I was only trying to help! She always takes the wrong path! Why does she do that? She knows how to be good, I know it! Kaede is a good person, but why does she have to be so…so…"

"So bad?"

"She is not a bad person!" I shouted, "She may be annoying at times, but Kaede is the most cordial person I know!"

"You sure care a lot about her," Rin said.

"Of course I do! I lo…" I quickly stopped myself. I was almost about to tell Rin, Kaede's best friend, my deepest secret. I hoped that she didn't understand what I was about to say, but the shocked expression on her face told me she already knew.

"So I was right!" I she said, standing up and dancing. I was confused as to how she would have known, but that dance was just creeping me out.

"You…you knew?"

"Of course! I mean, every time you two are together, you always blush or get nervous. And the way you two flirt just creeps me out!" We flirted? How did that happen?

"I'm going before you make me throw up." Rin started leaving, but I grabbed her arm and stopped her from moving any further. I knew what she was about to do.

"You're not going anywhere!" I said, "How do I know you're not going to tell Kaede what I just said to you?" She turned around, looking very guilty. She was! Rin was going to tell Kaede everything!

"Uh, no I wasn't!" Her voice was full of guilt.

"Let me make myself clear: If you tell her, you'll regret it!"

"Oh, and what are you going to do about it?"

"If you tell her, I'll tell everyone how you made that potion for your parents to drink so that they would do whatever you wanted them to."

"Wha-what? How…how did you know that?"

"I have eyes everywhere." Rin became angry. Her secret was more important than telling Kaede the truth about my feelings.

"I'll find a way to tell her! Just you wait and see…" She walked away back to work, but I didn't know what to expect from Rin.

**Kaede's POV**

"Kaede! Kaede!" I heard someone calling my name. They ran into Mai and Haru. It was Rin. She was supposed to be working, but obviously decided to take a break, like me. At least she didn't have to babysit any of her siblings; she didn't have any.

"Kaede!" Rin was panting and put her hands on her knees. What was so important? Did she talk with Ryo like I asked her to?

"What? What is it?" I was anxious to know what Ryo said.

"I talked with Ryo for you!" I knew she would. Rin was such a good friend.

"And?" I was anxious to hear what he said.

"And…um…he didn't tell me anything good," she said, "I asked why you two were fighting and he wouldn't budge. I kept persisting, but all he said was that you two had some differences you needed to work out." That was partially true; Ryo and I were complete opposites, but I didn't believe that was the reason for our fight. He was getting in my way and telling me I needed to be more careful than I was. It was like he didn't trust me.

"Oh," I said, putting down the doll Mai gave me, "I see. Okay, thanks for telling me."

"I know you wanted more, but I just couldn't get that much out of him. Boys are so stubborn." I looked up and smiled. She always knew how to make me smile.

"Thanks," I said, "I should think of something else, like how I'm going to get that hair when my mom isn't even around! She won't be back until closing!"  
"So? I have a plan." Rin said. I looked at her grinning face. She seemed to have had a cunning idea, and knowing Rin, it would most likely work.

**What could she be planning? Rin is the conniving genius of the group. She just might be able to get the hair for Kaede. And how will Kaede ever find out about Ryo's true feelings for her? She feels the same, but after that argument before, how will they ever work things? So much conflict, so much drama, I hope you all are enjoying this as much as I am! But like most stories, there will be good things that come out of this. Until next time! Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	13. Chapter 13: Lies and Violators

**Hi! So are you all ready to read Chapter 13? A little short, goes into 3 POVs, and not a lot goes on. It's really just to keep the story going. Then only thing that is a big step in the story is what Kaede and Rin do... So sit back and enjoy the story!**

**Chapter 13: Lies and Violators**

"So what's your plan?" I kept asking Rin the same question as we walked down the hall away from my brother and sister. I needed to watch them, but a few minutes away wouldn't do any harm.

"Just tell me!" I was becoming impatient. However, Rin was looking more devious by the minute. We were right in front of my parents' room. What could we get in there? My parents weren't even home, so there was no way of getting the hair. And they always locked their door. There was no way in.

"We don't need your mom to get the hair," Rin told me, taking out one of her hair pin. She used one end to pick the lock. I still didn't understand how sneaking into my parents' room was going to help.

We heard a clicking sound, meaning that her plan, so far, was working. Rin opened the door and put her hair pin back in. We walked in, and there was no one to be found. It was empty except for the many pieces of furniture. Rin ran to the closet and was making a huge mess of it!

"What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed. She didn't stop. Rin was going mad.

"Well, aren't you going to help?" Rin asked. How could she even ask me that?

"When my parents come back, they're going to kill me!"

"We'll clean it all back once we get what we need!" I was still confused. What was she looking for? The only way to get the hair was by taking it from my mother. Even that would have been impossible.

"You still don't get it, do you?" I shocked my head in reply. What was she up to?

"Okay," Rin started, "There's more than one way to get someone's hair. During the day, your hair falls out, and it lands on your clothing or the floor."

"And when you brush your hair it comes out!" I was starting to understand her plan.

"Exactly," she said, "There's always a method to my madness, right?"

"Always," I said. As Rin checked the closet, I went to the bathroom to look for the hairbrush. My parents had distinctively different hair color, so knowing which was which wasn't going to be hard.

"Ah!" I shouted. Rin came rushing in, worried about why I screamed.

"What? What happened?"

"Look at this!" I held up the hair brush to Rin. "How much hair does my mom have? I mean, look at this!" Rin frowned and walked away. I was overreacting, but that's natural for me.

"Got it!" I said. I took one of the longest pieces from the hairbrush. I put the hair brush back where it was supposed to go and ran out of the bathroom.

"Rin! I got it!" She nodded and we ran to the door. Stopping in her tracks, Rin looked back at the closet. It was still a mess, and by look on her face, I knew she didn't want to clean it.

"Oh no!" I said, "Get in there and put everything back the way it was!"

"But Kaede! It's such a big mess!"

"So? You're cleaning it up!" Rin frowned and groaned. She never was one to clean up, but when she messes with my parents' room, she's got to clean it.

And I had more important things to do than clean up a mess I didn't create. I finally got the item I needed, and by tonight I was going to be one step closer to finding out the next ingredient for the potion that would change my life forever.

**Chihiro's POV**

I didn't want to leave Kaede alone with Mai and Haru, but it was my only option. She was the only one I trusted to care for her younger siblings. Indeed, it was hard to trust Kaede with all that had been going on, but I knew she wouldn't let me down. I had to get Haku to Zeniba as quickly as possible.

"Ready, Haku?" I asked. He didn't seem all that excited. At least he didn't know the true reason for our visit to Zeniba. I only told him half of the story. If I told him the entire reason for us going to see her, he would think it would be absurd and not even go.

"Tell me again why we are going to see that crazy old witch," Haku said.

"Hey, she's not crazy!" I said, "And I already told you. She wants to see if there is something wrong. I told you earlier how I felt like there was someone after me, and maybe that's what it is."

"Fine," he said, "but at the first sign of trouble we are getting out of there."

"What could go wrong?"

"Anywhere Yubaba is, there's bound to be something that'll go wrong."

**Yuki's POV**

I came home late that night. I didn't want Kage to see me, and I certainly didn't want to see him. Luckily, he had already been asleep by the time I got back to Kage's Fortress. I was too afraid to go into my own room. I crept into Hamano's room and took one of blankets and a pillow. I found a comfortable spot on the floor and quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

Now, it was morning and I had to find a way to get Kage to my mother's house. Since I wasn't planning on talking to him for a while, I had to find a way to get him there without him knowing.

_"I got it!"_ I thought. I left Hamano's room and headed straight for the Potion's Room. I knew there had to be something in there that could knock Kage unconscious. He was always working in there, coming up with new potions and recipes. Kage had to have made a potion like that.

As I entered the Potion's Room, I saw many experimental bottles. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, in all different shapes and sizes. On the wall was Kage's bookshelf. He kept all his potions and recipes in the books. I walked towards it and looked at each book. There had to have been a hundred books there! I couldn't tell which was the one that I needed, but I was determined to find it.

I knew that a potion like the one I was looking for had to be in the Book of Beginners' Spells. It was a very common potion due to the ingredients needed, but it wasn't used as much as others. I needed to use it to knock Kage unconscious.

"Come on, where is it?" It was nearly impossible to find it. At the last bit of hope to find it, I remembered the last time he used it was the day before!

"It's right here!" The book was on the table next to the bookshelf. I opened it and looked through and eventually found "The Sleeping Potion."

"Okay," I began, "the Sleeping Potion works by putting your victim asleep for four hours. After the time runs out, the victim will awake, with no memory of what happened before." I followed the ingredients the way I was supposed to. After a short period of time, I had the potion ready.

"Now, I just need him to drink it…" I went to the kitchen and poured him a cup of herbal tea. Placing it at the seat where he usually sits, I poured the potion in it. One sip and he would be unconscious.

"Am I really doing the right thing?"I thought. It was wrong, but worth it to make sure Kage will do as my mother says. It was the only way. I ran out of the kitchen and into the next room as I heard someone go into the kitchen. I looked out the door slightly, and saw that it was Kage.

He walked to the table and looked at the drink. I knew he couldn't resist my herbal tea. I always make it with my secret recipe. He always questions me, wondering what it is I put in the tea that makes it so good. But I never reveal my secrets.

"Yuki…" I heard. I thought he knew I was there. I thought he saw right through me. But as I looked closer, I saw he was mesmerized by the herbal tea I set for him. Kage immediately took the cup and drank it. Every last drop was gone.

"No! Wait!" He turned around and saw me running in.

"What…Yuki?"

"I didn't want you to drink the whole thing, just one sip!" One sip was good enough for a couple hours, but now he'll be out for almost twelve hours!

"What!" Kage said in shock. He didn't think I would do something like that. Before he could respond, the potion was starting to take effect.

**Looks like Yuki's plan didn't go as well as she thought it would. On the other hand, Kaede and Rin's plan went pretty well. Kaede has the first ingredient now. She only needs two more and the spirit will help her. Chihiro has a lot on her plate, and a disobedient daughter was the least of her problems. I hope for more reviews and if anyone has any questions about the story, I'd be glad to help you out. Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	14. Chapter 14: The Test, Part 1

**Hey! Sorry this chapter was a little late, I've been super busy this week! But, I had a lot of free time today and finished it! I believe we left off with Kaede and Rin finding the first ingredient. Now, all she has to do is give it to the spirit and then she'll know what the next one is. We also saw Chihiro and Haku for a little bit, as well as Yuki and Kage. That's what this chapter is all about and I hope you all really like it! Enjoy! :)**

**Chapter 14: The Test, Part 1**

"Ready, Haku?" I asked. He didn't seem all that excited. At least he didn't know the true reason for our visit to Zeniba. I only told him half of the story. If I told him the entire reason for us going to see her, he would think it would be absurd and not even go.

"Tell me again why we are going to see that crazy old witch," Haku said.

"Hey, she's not crazy!" I said, "And I already told you. She wants to see if there is something wrong. I told you earlier how I felt like there was someone after me, and maybe that's what it is."

"Fine," he said, "but at the first sign of trouble we are getting out of there."

"What could go wrong?"

"Anywhere Yubaba is, there's bound to be something that'll go wrong."

"Can we just go now?" I asked. He sighed and transformed into his dragon form. I jumped onto his back. I hoped Zeniba's plan would work, but Haku would find a way to get out of it. I knew Haku would find some way to leave without getting the test done. Zeniba had better work on a plan to counter his.

As we exited the bathhouse, I couldn't help but think of Kaede. I felt bad for leaving her alone with Mai and Haru, but it was like I had no choice. Someone had to take care of them while we were gone, and the only one I could think of was Kaede. Everyone else was working.

"Haku," I began, "Do you think…Kaede will ever go back to the way it used to be?" I knew he couldn't answer me, but he could hear me. Kaede used to be this loving little girl who did everything her parents said without questioning us. What happened to my little girl?

"It's just…Kaede wouldn't hesitate to do what we wanted, and she never did anything wrong. She always did the right thing, and then…I guess she just thought doing the right thing wasn't good enough."

Haku continued flying while my mind was racing. What was I to do? How was I supposed to bring my little girl back? Was there any hope that she would return to the way she used to be?

**Yuki's POV**

"Oh no," I said, pacing the floor, "What am I going to do?" It had been only minutes since Kage drank the tea, and he wouldn't wake up for another twelve hours. I only needed him to be asleep for an hour or two, just to get him to my mother's house without him refusing. Now, how was my mother going to test him?

I ran to my room and searched every drawer for an answer. Kage always had something to contact with everyone else. I only needed to find it. I checked everywhere I could. Drawers were emptied, closets were raided, and I still couldn't find what I was looking for.

"Mommy," I turned around and saw Hamano in the doorway. She hadn't called me that in years. I was always "Mom." When did she start that again?

"Yes, Hamano?" I asked.

"What are you doing?" She entered the room and sat on the bed. The room was a complete mess. The carpet wasn't even visible. The walls were covered with pieces of clothing that in had flung out of the way.

"Um…well, I…" I couldn't lie to her. My daughter knew me like she knew the back of her hand. Lying to her would only make things worse.

"Alright," I said in defeat, "You know your father and I are…not speaking to each other at the moment, but I needed to get him to your grandmother's house, and I couldn't do that without putting him to sleep, but for that to happen I needed a potion so I made a Sleeping Potion and set it up in the kitchen for your father to drink and he drank the whole thing so now he's asleep but he'll be out for almost half the day!" I breathed heavily. I didn't give myself any time to slow down when saying everything that happened.

Hamano didn't say anything at first. It must have been hard for her to see her parents like that. I would have acted the same way. But living with my mother and never knowing my father, I never had to know what that was like.

"I have an idea!" Hamano ran out of the room as fast as she could. An idea for what? Was she on my side? I needed support like that. Kage was becoming something I never wanted to come, but nothing I did could stop him.

Hamano came back into the room back holding a skull. I shrieked in surprise that she had one of those. Only my Aunt Yubaba carried items like that. Hamano never even saw her Aunt Yubaba.

"Honey, where did you get that?" I asked. It was a way of contacting to others with a skull, but I knew my mother didn't have one of those. Maybe…

"Aunt Yubaba gave it to me!" My mouth dropped. So many questions were arising after she said that.

"When did you meet her?" I asked Hamano.

"The last time we went to Grandma's, she was there! Then, while you and Grandma were talking outside, she gave it to me." I wasn't even going to question it. I took the skull and typed in the designated skull.

"Hello? Mom? Aunt Yubaba? Anyone there?" No answer. These skulls weren't as popular as they were back when I was a kid, but I knew my Aunt Yubaba would always use them.

"What!" Someone was speaking on the other side. I knew it was Aunt Yubaba. She was always cranking no matter what time of day it was.

"Aunt Yubaba!" I shouted. I was relieved to hear that someone had heard me.

"Wait…is that Yuki?"

"Yes," I said, "I need your help."  
"And why should I help you?" At least I wasn't with her in person. She's even more annoying then, and I wouldn't tolerate that.

"Because I'm your only niece and it's really important!" I shouted. I heard her laughing on the other side. What was so funny?

"Oh Yuki, what did you do this time?"

"What! What do you mean 'this time?'"

"Uh…let's talk about this later. Okay?"

"No! I need your help now! Kage is unconscious and I don't know what to do!" At least she knew what was wrong. Now she can try and help me. But knowing my Aunt, she wouldn't raise a finger to help anyone.

"What did you do, give him a Sleeping Potion?" I paused. That was exactly what I did.

"Uh…maybe…" I whispered.

"You idiot! How are you going to get him and yourself here?"

"I didn't think that far ahead!"

"Well that was your first mistake," she said, "Now, let's see…" I could tell she was thinking of a plan. Then, I heard the snap of fingers.

"Got it!" She shouted. I heard a commotion going on back at her house. I didn't know if she was still there or not. However, she didn't take long because right after, I heard her speaking again.

"Bye!" Aunt Yubaba said and the skull turned off.

"What!" I shouted. Just like my Aunt Yubaba. She's always running away, and then I'm left to fix the mess.

"Fine, I'll do it myself." I ran to the kitchen and grabbed Kage. His face was flat on the table and little drops of water fell out of his mouth.

"Yuck," I whispered, carrying him on my back. He was heavier than I thought. I carried him all the way to our room and laid him down on the bed.

"Hamano, what am I to do?" I was out of options. Hamano learned everything she knew from her father.

"I don't know," she said, "I haven't learned any transportation spells yet from Daddy." Daddy? What was going on with her?

"Okay, I'll think of something." However, it seemed as if Aunt Yubaba didn't leave me behind because not too long after, Kage and I disappeared from Hamano's sight. We were being transported through one of the Spirit World's portals!

"Ah!" I shouted. Where was Aunt Yubaba taking Kage and me to? I was beginning to worry. All of a sudden, the portal ended and we both were falling.

"Watch out!" I was about to fall down on my mother, but using her magic she quickly got out of the way. But in doing so, Kage landed right on top of me.

"Yuki!" My mom ran towards me and pushed Kage away. She helped me up, but I was more worried about Kage.

"Yuki, how did this happen? How did you get here so fast?" I looked at the doorway as my Aunt Yubaba was coming outside to join us. The smile on her face made me angrier than ever.

"Ask your sister," I said, pointing to her. Mom looked back and saw her other half laughing like a crazy old woman.

"Oh, Yubaba! You're even more devious than I remember!" And then, my own mother started laughing! What had the world come to?

"How is this funny? We won't be able to get Kage to test for the control slug!" After I said that, Aunt Yubaba and my mother stopped laughing. Silence filled the air.

"What?" I asked. My mom pointed behind me and there it was: Chihiro and Haku were right behind me, and Haku now knew the reason we brought them there.

"That's why we came?" Haku shouted. Chihiro didn't say a word. She seemed a little too shocked. I searched my pocket and pulled out a vial. It was filled with a little of the Sleeping Potion. I should have given this to Kage, since it only knocks someone out for a short time.

"Chihiro, we are going. Now!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her away. It was just like something, or someone, was controlling him. It was happening. We had to find out now.

"No!" I shouted. I ran towards them and as Haku turned around, I opened the vial and gave it to Chihiro.

"He needs to drink this!" I said. He looked at her, almost begging her not to listen to me. Nevertheless, Chihiro knew what she had to do.

"I'm sorry, Haku," She said. She forced the drink down his throat and he almost didn't swallow. Seconds later, he collapsed to the ground. Chihiro grabbed him waist before he fell, and she carried him towards us.

"Let's get this over with," Chihiro said, and without a second thought, she walked straight into the little cottage. I picked up Kage and followed suit.

"Mom," I said, looking back at her, "You better be right about all of this. If not…well, I don't want to know what will be next."

**So what will be the result of this test? Will Haku and Kage show signs of control slugs? Yubaba should surely know if they are, just from experience. Also, since Kage drank all of the tea, he won't be awake for their test. So many conflicts are getting in the way of our heroes, and there's more to come than just this simple test. One of the good guys is falling, and they will be the reason for all the bad things that will occur... but you'll just have to wait and see that for yourself! In the meantime, please review and tell me what you think! Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	15. Chapter 15: The Test, Part 2

**So are you guys ready to find out what's happening next? What will the tests' results be? Yuki feels guilty for putting Kage under with the Sleeping Potion, and Chihiro had to do the same to Haku. So many things could go wrong. Let's find out what will happen...**

**Chapter 15: The Test, Part 2**

Zeniba made beds for Haku and Kage to rest until they had awakened from their sleep. Yuki was sitting at Kage's bedside, her head resting on his arm. She felt terrible for putting him under a deep sleep, but she knew it was the only way to get him to cooperate. If only Haku didn't find out what we were really planning on doing, then he wouldn't have had the same fate as Kage.

It started raining only minutes after we had arrived. It started light, but now was starting to become unsafe. We may even have to stay the night there. Rain pounded at the windows and the wind was blowing everything in sight. It was going to be a terrible storm.

"Mom, when will they wake up?" Yuki asked. Zeniba walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. It sounded like it was going to be a while.

"I'm not sure," She told us, "but we can still give them the test. It might be easier since they won't be able to resist."

"Maybe she's right," I told Yuki. She wouldn't leave his side. It was almost as if she were glued to him. I wish I was that close with Haku, but for some time he had been acting like someone I lived with instead of the man I fell in love with. I was starting to believe in what Zeniba was telling me. The only thing I couldn't quite put my finger was the person who did this to us. Who would do something like that to control Haku?

"Alright," Yuki said, "let's begin." Zeniba nodded and went to the kitchen to get the potion. I followed her there. I needed to know what she was planning on doing to Haku and Kage.

"Um, Zeniba?" I began, "Uh… what do you plan on doing to them?" She looked at me as I helped her carry the bottles.

"I mean, it won't hurt them, will it?" Zeniba started laughing that crazy laugh. She would always prove to Haku how crazy she actually was.

"Nonsense! I wouldn't touch a hair on their heads!" She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Chihiro. Everything will be fine. Kohaku will come out and be the same old loving husband he's always been." I smiled and she walked back to the room. Someone caught my eye, though.

"Um, No-Face?" I whispered. He was staring out the window since I first got here. He didn't seem to like the rain. He didn't even look at me. Every time I came to the cottage No-Face would ignore me. But not today. He was going to acknowledge my presence once and for all.

"No-Face, just talk to me, please! I miss you, a lot. You saved me once, remember? I will always be grateful to you for that. Please, just say something!" I looked at the side of his face. Tears streamed down his cheek.

"No-Face…" He looked back at me and wiped the tears from his face. No-Face lifted his hand and gave me a flower. It looked similar to the yellow flower he used to save me. Was it an identical one? I smiled and pushed it away.

"No," I said, "I can't take this from you, No-Face. It's yours." He kept insisting, but I knew I couldn't take it from him. There were many things I didn't know about No-Face, and no one here could communicate with him properly. But no matter what, I knew he would always love us.

I embraced him and almost cried myself. It seemed that whatever he was mad at me for was gone. He forgave me. A few moments later, Zeniba came back out.

"Chihiro," she said, "we're ready." I looked at her and nodded. Letting go of No-Face, I followed her to the other room. Yuki was still in the same position she was since we got here. Zeniba and Yubaba were chanting a spell on the potion. I could barely understand what they were saying. When they finished, Zeniba brought two bottles to us.

"Both Haku and Kage need to drink this." She handed one of the bottles to me, and the other to Yuki. I walked over to where Haku was sleeping. He looked so peaceful. I couldn't believe that there may have been a control slug inside of him. I knew what the last one did to him, and this was no different. But seeing him the way he was at that moment made me feel like the bad guy.

"Are we doing the right thing?" I asked. Everyone looked at me. I couldn't pull myself together. I felt that if we went through with it and the results were negative, Haku and Kage would never forgive us.

"If we don't, we'll never know the truth." Yuki replied. Her voice had no expression, and neither did her appearance. She knew the outcome, and somewhere inside of me knew it, too.

"Alright," I said. I stood in front of Haku and looked at his face. He was sleeping so peacefully. I hated myself for lying to him and forcing him to take the test, but it was in the best interest for everyone. Slowly, I poured the drink into his mouth. Yuki did the same to Kage, and we stood back, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Now, if they have a control slug, both should spit it out in a matter of seconds." Seconds? It was that short? If we were wrong, we would know right away. I didn't want to know the answer, actually. The truth would hurt more than not knowing if was real.

"Look!" Zeniba shouted. Haku and Kage had awakened. We were surprised, seeing as though the Sleeping Potion would have worked for many hours. They both seemed to have had hard time breathing. Haku and Kage were choking!

"Oh no! We must help them!" I shouted. Zeniba stopped me in my tracks, however.

"We cannot interfere with the potion," she said, "they will get rid of whatever it is that is blocking them." I stared in horror that something terrible was going to happen. Haku and Kage were forcing something out of their mouths. And luckily, their hard work paid off.

Both of them spit out a gooey looking figure. It was exactly as I remembered what a control slug looked like. They were both disgusting, but we weren't done with them yet.

"Squish them! Hurry!" Yubaba shouted. Yuki and I chased after the two slugs. They were much faster than I remembered and turned very sharply.

"Stop moving!" I said angrily. Yuki was having just as hard a time as I was. They were fast. Most likely they were trained by powerful spirits, which brought me back to the question of who did this to Haku and Kage.

"Got it!" Yuki shouted. The slug she was following had ceased to exist. I, on the other hand, was having difficulties getting mine.

"Stand still!" I shouted. It was no use. This one was too fast. Was it because Haku was a harder person to control? Did they need a highly trained control slug to be put into Haku? He was a very stubborn person, so it seemed possible.

"Mommy!" A loud noise came from the other room. Everyone, even the slug, stopped where they were.

"Oh no," Yubaba whispered.

"Mommy!" The noise was getting louder. I knew exactly whose voice it was, and I was actually glad to see him in the current situation.

"Boh! Over here!" I shouted. He opened his eyes and saw me. His smiled grew even larger as he ran towards me. The slug was too preoccupied with the large size of Boh to see the giant baby's foot come crashing down on him.

"Ew! Mommy, what was that?" He looked at his foot and saw a gooey grey mess on it.

"Let Mommy clean that up, sweetie." Yubaba ran to the kitchen and searched for a washcloth to clean her son's foot.

"Sen, what are you doing here?" Boh asked excitedly. He never learned my real name, and I doubted he wanted to call me anything different. I didn't mind being called Sen. It reminded me of the other person inside of me. I was much more than scared little Chihiro. Sometimes I failed to realize it, but Boh always reminded me of whom I truly was just by calling me "Sen."

"I needed to see your mom and aunt," I replied. Back in the other room, Haku and Kage were flustered. They had no idea what was going on and were certainly going to ask a lot of questions.

"Um, Chihiro?" I heard my name being called from the room where the men were resting. Haku was sitting up on his bed, and he didn't look too happy at me.

"Uh, yes…Honey?" Haku was angry at me, and his face showed it all. I needed to tell him the truth.

"I think you have some explaining to do." He said, crossing his arms. Kage looked at Yuki, and she just turned away.

"We'll tell you, but in our defense, it was our only choice." Yuki said.

"Forcing us against our will to take some silly test was your last resort?" Kage asked, "For what? I want to know what was so complicated that you had to force me unconscious and bring me here."

"You two were being controlled!" Yuki shouted, showing them her foot. The goo was still there from the slug, and both Haku and Kage looked even more confused than normal. I took the liberty of explaining everything to them.

"We noticed how you two had been acting strangely and when you two had that fight I realized it was time we got some help. So, Zeniba gave us the idea that you two were being controlled, by control slugs specifically. We needed to test both of you and see if we were right, and our predictions were correct."

Haku looked at Kage, and vice versa. They seemed to understand a little better than before.

"So, that fight we had, it wasn't really us speaking?" Haku asked. I nodded in reply.

"The slugs were controlling you to act that way towards each other." Yuki said.

"Haku," Kage began, "I am truly sorry for what I said. I didn't mean a word, honestly." Haku smiled and nodded.

"I can see that now." Both of them stood up and shook hands. At least they were friends again. However, there was something on my mind still.

"What was it that you two were fighting about, anyway?" I asked. Their eyes widened. Something about that look told me their fight was about something I wasn't going to like.

"Um, well…I don't think it's the right time to tell you what it was about." Kage said.

"Kage, how long have you known me? You should know that no matter how much time you waste, I'm still going to get an answer out of one of you." Kage and Haku stared at each other, knowing that no one could hide anything from me.

"Chihiro, after we tell you, remember that it wasn't really him talking." Haku assured me. I nodded and waited for their answer.

"Chihiro," Kage began, "I don't know why I said it, but…I was telling Haku what a bad kid Kaede was." I became motionless. He thought Kaede was a turning into a bad child? I was sure that everyone who knew us thought it, but I was hard hearing it from someone so close.

"He was saying how Kaede was going down the wrong path and I just couldn't take it," Haku said, "I got physical and that's when the fight started."

"I never intended to hurt anyone," Kage responded, "especially you, Yuki." She looked at him with troubled eyes. She didn't know if she could trust him. I knew that whoever was doing that to Kage and Haku couldn't do it again. Nevertheless, Yuki was still having a hard time believing in Kage.

"I…I don't know if you're telling the truth," she replied. Kage grabbed her hand and held it as softly as he could. She seemed frightened at first, but seeing Kage's warm face won her over.

"I would never purposely hurt you, Yuki," he said, "you are my one true love, and I would never do such a horrid thing to you." Yuki finally believed in him. She embraced him in such a romantic way. They were truly meant to be. But, as usual, something made me uneasy.

"Haku!" I shouted, "We left Kaede with the twins, remember? She must be dying to be left alone!"

"Well, come on! We have to go now!" We ran to the door. I opened it, but the sight was not one I wanted to see. The storm was getting bigger and stronger. Winds were blowing whatever was in sight. Rain turned to hail, and it was too dangerous for Haku to fly in that weather.

"Looks like you all are going to have to spend the night here," Zeniba said. I closed the door slowly, and the only thing on my mind was how Kaede was going to react in the morning. After the way she was behaving, I wouldn't be surprised if one us would end up in tears.

**So looks like Mother Nature doesn't want them to return home. Kaede surely will get angry about having to take care of her siblings all day. But on to bigger news, we now know that Kage and Haku were being controlled. However, we still don't know one thing: Who was the one who did that to them? Who wanted Kage and Haku controlled? Soon, we will find out. All these conflicts will come together, and an old character(s) from the last story... reviews are always appreciated! Please tell me if you like it, hate it, or how I can make it better! Thanks a bunch!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	16. Chapter 16: The Second Ingredient

**Hi again! Sorry this took so long, but it's got a lot of detail and I had some major writers block for a while. But, I'm back and ready to continue. We do not see what happened last chapter :( Based on the title, I think you all know who we're going to see. And I also brought in two characters...a little blast from the past for Kaede...**

**Chapter 16: The Second Ingredient**

It was already night. My parents hadn't returned from Granny's and Aunt Yubaba's yet. She said they'd be back before then. Obviously she was lying.

I walked back to the mop bucket and poured the water out of one of the side doors in the main lobby. It was raining hard outside. The clouds were blocking anything in sight. I actually was hoping my parents weren't in that storm.

I returned the bucket to the supply closet, and someone tapped my shoulder. As I closed the door, I saw Rin mesmerized by someone in the distance.

"What?" I asked. She pointed straight ahead and whispered, "Who is that?"

I looked in the direction she was pointing at and saw a familiar face. Sparkling green eyes and red hair that went down to his fingertips. I never thought I'd see him again.

"Raiden!" I shouted. He turned to where I was and I waved obnoxiously to him. Rin, surprised that I knew the boy she was enthralled with, grabbed my arm and pulled it down.

"How do you know him?" She asked.

"He saved me and…him, when we were coming back from the Human World. Isn't he adorable?" Rin stared him down as he made his way towards us.

"Better looking than Ryo, I'll say." We both giggled. When he finally met up with us, we promptly stopped our laughter.

"Hi, Kaede!" Raiden said. "Fancy seeing you here. Are you for vacation?"

"Her? Vacation? Like her parents would ever let her do something like that!" Rin shouted. I gave her cold eyes as she laughed.

"Thanks, Rin," I whispered so only she could hear. Raiden looked confused.

"I…we, sort of work here." I explained, "in fact, my parents own this bathhouse." His eyes opened wide, seeming very impressed.

"Wow, that's amazing! I think I'm going to have to come here more often now." I blushed again. What was wrong with me? I never acted like this when I was with Ryo. Why was it so different for Raiden?

"Excuse me," Rin said, "but my friend rudely forgot to introduce us. I'm Rin." She held out her hand to shake, and he did the same.

"I'm Raiden," he said, "so you two live and work here?"

"Yeah, the workers live close to the top floor." Raiden kept looking more and more astonished with everything I said.

"Well, we're going to be staying here for a while. I hope to see you and your friend a lot more." I kept thinking to myself, _"Yes, Yes, YES!"_

"Raiden!" A little girl came rushing over to us, waving her arm around back and forth. She looked younger than Mai and Haru, and her hair looked exactly like Raiden.

"Momo, I said to wait with Mom and Dad." Raiden seemed disappointed to see her.

"Who's this?" I asked. She looked almost like a girl version of Raiden. Her hair was equally as long as his and their eyes matched perfectly.

"This is Momo, my little sister." Raiden said, placing his hand around her neck. Raiden looked a little disappointed to see her, but I knew the feeling. I never wanted to see my brother and sister, let alone care for them all day. And my parents still weren't home.

"Raiden, who's the pretty girl?" Momo asked him silently. I blushed and so did Raiden.

"This is Kaede and her friend, Rin." I smiled and waved to her, even though she was no more than two feet away from me.

"So," I said, moving on from the previous conversation, "are you all staying long?"

"Only a few days. Then we have to go to Ramon City to see our grandmother."

"Why? Is she sick?"

"Raiden! Momo!" An older woman was calling out to the siblings. Raiden sighed, but Momo happily skipped to her.

"I'm guessing that's your mom?" I asked.

"Yeah, we need to get settled in," Raiden said. Before he left, he smiled back at me and said, "I hope to see you again."

"Likewise," I said. He walked off to his family and I ran back into the closet. I was breathing heavily. Rin came in a second later and turned on the light.

"What the hell was that?" she said. I looked at her and smiled. She started laughing, and I couldn't help but do it myself.

"Oh my goodness," I said, "I can't believe he came here!"

"So wait, he was the one who helped you and Ryo get back home?" I nodded. Seeing him again was nice. It reminded me that Ryo wasn't the center of my life. I could be in love with other boys. I needed to forget about Ryo.

"But there's still that one problem," Rin whispered. I didn't know what she was talking about. What problem? There was nothing wrong with Raiden. He was perfect.

"What are you talking about? What problem?" I asked. Her eyes widened. I never liked that.

"Oh," she said, "you know…uh…how you still like Ryo!"

"What? I do not." I replied.

"You told me yourself the other day you couldn't forget about him! You're stuck in a love triangle, my friend." I hadn't thought about it that way. Could I be in love with Ryo and Raiden at the same time? I had known Ryo my whole life, and just met Raiden a few days before.

I slid to the ground floor and covered my face. My life was so complicated.

"Why me? Why was I cursed!" I asked myself. Rin patted my back like a true friend. She picked me up and gave me a hug.

"It's okay to like them both," she told me, "but when the time comes, you're going to have to make the decision. It's one or the other." I nodded, agreeing with her. Rin always knew what to say when to say it. She had my back, and I had hers.

Rin opened the door, ready to leave the filthy supply closet, but suddenly closed to door shut.

"What? What is it?" She opened the door again and pointed to one of the customers. "It's him!" She whispered. I looked to the person she saw and I knew who she was talking about. Kazue! Kazue had come back like he promised. I walked out of the closet towards him.

"Do you have it?" Rin asked me. I pulled it slowly out of my pocket. It was the hair we got from my parents room. I nodded and slowly walked towards him, holding the item in my pocket.

"Um, hello again," I said, "would you like another bath?" Kazue turned to me and smiled. He seemed so warm and friendly. But then again, something about screamed evil. I pushed away the thought. He was helping me; no one like could be evil.

"Why hello there," Kazue replied, "Yes, I think I will have another bath." I led him to the main bathing area, the same place I took him to the day before. Rin went to get a bath token from Osamu while I was ready to give him what he needed.

"Master Kazue, I have what you need." I whispered, slightly holding out the piece of hair. He took it out of hand swiftly and it disappeared. I was completely and utterly confused.

"It is now at my fortress," Kazue said, "when the time is right, I will place it in the potion and your wish will be granted." I smiled. Those were the exact words I wanted to hear.

"And am I ready to hear what the next ingredient is?" I asked. I was too excited to not ask. I was going to get my way! For years Mai and Haru always got what they wanted. As a child, I didn't get half of the things they had. Now, I was finally going to get what I deserved.

"I got the token!" Rin shouted as she entered the bathing area. She put it on the hook and it went to Kamajii. Seconds later, the water shoot came out. I pulled the lever and steaming hot water poured into the tub. When it was full, I pulled the lever again, stopping the water.

Kazue stepped into the water and looked as relaxed as any other customer we've had. He actually seemed calmer than anyone there.

"I will tell you the next ingredient," Kazue said, "but I have to warn you, this will not be as easy as the one before. Each ingredient is harder to get than the last."

"I'll do anything," I told him. I was willing to go to extreme lengths to get what I wanted.

"Very well," Kazue replied, "the next ingredient will be a very difficult find. Something tragic must happen, and you may be the cause of it." I didn't understand a word he said. Spirits were good with riddles and puzzles. I never paid any attention to any of that.

"Um, could you repeat that?" I asked. Kazue stood up from the water and grabbed the towel next to him. He used his magic to put his robe on, and he looked at me with blank eyes.

"You're next task is to get a teardrop. Seeing as though your mother do not get along as often as you should, that shouldn't be a problem." A teardrop? Why a teardrop? It was going to be difficult, but worth the risk.

"You can count on me," I said, he smiled and patted my head.

"I was hoping I would." And then again, just as he did before, he vanished into thin air. And all I was left with was the next ingredient. He was right; it wasn't going to be as difficult as I thought. I knew a million ways to make my mom cry. I've done it enough times, so once more wouldn't hurt, right?

**I doubt any of you would have thought I'd bring in Raiden again! Just a little surprise for you all! :) So now that Raiden and his family are staying, what do you think Ryo is going to do about it? He still cares for Kaede, and doesn't want anyone else having their eyes on her. Love triangles are my favorite! In fact, I would like to know who you all think Kaede should go for. And P.S., I don't want you guys to think badly of Kaede. She's having a hard time dealing with being the invisible child, and that's one of the reasons why she acts like the moody teenager. Like I said in the summary, Kaede is special; it depends on whether she'll play for good or evil that will show her true colors...**

**Anabelle ;)**


	17. Chapter 17: Real Tears

**Hi! I'm really really really really really sorry this took soooo long to get up! But it's up now and things are starting to change in our "perfect" Spirit World. Kaede has some words to tell her mom when they get back from Swamp Bottom. I don't want to tell you too much, so I'm just going to stop writing and let you read for now. :)**

**Chapter 17: Real Tears**

**Chihiro's POV**

I realized we had stayed the night in Swamp Bottom when I smelled the delicious breakfast Zeniba was preparing for us. She always had the guest rooms set up just in case. I looked down and saw Haku sleeping in the middle of two blankets with his head resting on a pillow. He gave me the bed since there wasn't enough room for the both of us.

I smiled and placed my hand on Haku's shoulder. He immediately awakened to that; Haku was very aware of his surroundings. No one could get passed him without him knowing. Which led me to the question of how he could have been controlled by the slug.

"Hey," I whispered, "Sleep well?"  
"Not at all," he replied. At least he wasn't mad that I took the bed. If he still had that slug inside of him, who knows how he would've acted.

"I think the storm's gone, so we'll get home and then you can rest there." Haku smiled and kissed my hand. He got up and sat next to me on the bed.

"So how do you think Kaede is doing?" He asked me. I had actually forgotten about her. I knew she would be mad. She was always mad at me specifically. Haku was going to have to talk to her.

"Hopefully she'll understand why we left her with Mai and Haru." I didn't even believe what I was saying. Haku just sat there, rubbing my arm. He always knew how to make me feel better.

"Breakfast is ready!" Zeniba shouted from the kitchen. As we entered the kitchen, Zeniba set plates out for everyone. Yuki and Kage were already seated, and No-Face was sitting where he always did. Zeniba was still working at the stove.

"Good morning, you two," she said, "sleep well?"

"Not with that storm," I told her as we seated ourselves, "The thunder kept waking me up."

"But now we can get back home," Yuki said, "The sun's back and it looks like it won't rain for a long time."

"We needed this storm, though. I was afraid my garden would dry out!" Zeniba shouted. One of the doors opened and we saw Yubaba. She must have had a bad night as well; bags were forming under her eyes and her hair looked like a rat's nest.

"Um, hi Aunt," Yuki said, trying hard not to laugh at her. Yubaba looked at her with cold eyes. She really wasn't in the mood that morning. She walked to the head of the table and sat down.

"I don't feel like talking to any of you today," Yubaba bickered, eating her eggs.

"Come on, the storm wasn't that bad," Zeniba replied.

"Try waking up every five minutes to care for a 500 year old baby who can't handle a little rain!" Yubaba shouted, "At least your kid is grown up, mine doesn't want to look older than a toddler! Why can't he just grow up?"

"Why can't he?" I asked. I still had a lot to learn about the Spirit World, and Yubaba hated answering my questions. She thinks I should already know everything there is to know about this world, but I hadn't lived as long as she had.

"Must you question everything?" Yubaba whined. I looked to Zeniba for some help. She never minded my questions.

"Spirits have the ability to choose how old they look. If Boh had chosen to continue to age the way humans did, he would look older than all of us, even my sister and me."

"We aren't that old," Yubaba replied, "we just passed…um…"

"Yubaba, are saying you forgot how old you are?" Zeniba asked in a shocked tone. If it weren't for the kids, I would have forgotten my age already.

"It's been a long time!" She shouted.

"Well, if you had Boh 500 years ago, how old do you think you'd be?" Zeniba asked. She obviously felt self-conscience about sharing her age with the rest of us. Yubaba was using her fingers to count, and then her eyes grew big.

"What!" She shouted. Zeniba nodded and returned to work. If Boh was five hundred years old, who knew how old they were. They were probably older than the dinosaurs.

"Well, we had better get going," Yuki said as she and Kage stood up, "Hamano and Taro are probably worried."

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Kage said, bowing towards Zeniba and Yubaba. Zeniba bowed back, but Yubaba was just too stunned to answer.

"Any time, darling," Zeniba said. They waved once more before they departed. We had to get home, too. Kaede would most likely want a break from watching Mai and Haru.

"I think it's time that we go, too," I said, "thank you for everything."

"It's not a problem," She replied. I looked to Yubaba who was still sitting there, staring at the wall.

"Bye, Yubaba," I said. She came out of her trance when I said that.

"Let me guess, you haven't found it yet, have you?" She asked. I was getting tired of her asking me the same question.

"No! How am I supposed to remember what I gave you a long time ago?" I shouted.

"Okay," She said, "Just remember; you may need to find it soon. It could help you with your current situations." I tilted my head, confused with what she said. There was almost nothing that could help me now.

"Thanks, but whatever it is, I doubt it can do anything that would erase this whole mess." I walked to the door and we left. Haku went into his dragon form and we were heading back home. I couldn't wait to see what was in store for me.

**Kaede's POV**

It was midday when I awakened. Everything seemed calm. I sat up and looked around. My room was still. The door was slightly opened, and I saw a note in the doorway. I slowly got up and picked it up. My name was on the back. I opened it and the letter read:

_**Dear Kaede, **_

_**I really need to talk to you. There's something I think you should know, and I don't know how to tell you. I know your birthday is coming up, and I wanted to give you something special. Meet me on the bridge at midnight if you can. I'll be waiting. **_

_**~R**_

"Raiden?" I whispered. It had to be him. I just knew it was. How did he know my birthday was coming up? Rin must have told him. That was the only way. I dressed into my uniform and ran down the hall to the elevator. I couldn't wait to tell Rin.

"Rin!" I shouted as the elevator door opened to the main level. She was cleaning the main bathing area and turned around. I was running towards her. I couldn't wait to tell her the news.

"Rin, you will not believe what I got!" I shouted to her, even though I was right in front of her.

"Before you say anything, I just heard your parents got back." She told me. My mouth dropped. They couldn't be back. I didn't even know where Mai and Haru were!

"Rin, I'm dead!" I said to her. I ran to the entrance and across the bridge. I could see the shadow of my father coming towards the bathhouse. Rin came out seconds later, panting out of breath.

"What's wrong?" She asked, "You did everything your parents told you to do."

"Yeah, but I think they would expect to see Mai and Haru and that can't happen if I don't know where they are!"

"Okay, calm down," Rin said, "I'll stall your parents and you look for your siblings." She said. It wasn't a bad idea, actually. I nodded.

"Thanks, Rin, you're the best!" I shouted as I ran back to the bathhouse. I didn't have a lot of time. Rin wouldn't be able to fool my father. He'll find out what happened the minute she started talking.

"Mai! Haru! Where are you!" I shouted. They weren't in the main lobby or on our floor. There wasn't any other place they could go to. I needed to check everywhere once again. I went to the main bathing area, only to find the morning shift working. No one worked on the big tub over the weekends, but the twins liked hiding there a lot. I didn't know how they could stand the stench.

"Where did you two go?" I shouted. I walked out of the room, only to be stopped by the two people I feared the most. My parents. Rin was behind them, her arm in my dad's grasp. She was caught, and so was I.

"Can you explain to us why Rin was trying everything in her power to make sure we wouldn't come inside?" I couldn't say a word. I was a mute. I was going to be grounded far greater than I already was.

"Well... you see…I…" I was stuttering. My mom was tapping her foot, waiting for an answer.

"Kaede!" I heard my name being called, but I wasn't thrilled to see Ryo. The only thing that contented me was that he had Mai and Haru in his hands!  
"You found them!" I shouted. I bent down and gave them a hug. I was relieved to see them back. Who knows what could've happened to them.

"Thank you," I said to Ryo. He smiled at me, but I there was one problem I still had to face.

"You lost your brother and sister?" My father shouted. I stood up and looked at them with worrisome eyes.  
"Don't even try to get out of this one, Kaede! How could you lose your little brother and sister?" My mom was mad at me. Normally, it was the other way around.

"Well if you two had come home last night like you said, that wouldn't have happened."

"Oh, don't even try blaming this on us!" My dad said, "It was your responsibility to care for your siblings and you failed us. It's your fault."

"Maybe I didn't want that responsibility! I'm busy enough! I clean my room and their room, I have a full time job, I don't need those two on my list, too!"

"They are your brother and sister and you will babysit them when we ask you to!" My mom shouted. My dad looked at Rin and Ryo and sent them away, along with Mai and Haru. It was just my mom and me. This was going to get ugly.

"Mom, I have enough on my plate! Why are you doing this to me? I want a life. Why can't I have a little fun?"

"You had enough fun when you ran away, didn't you? The Human World was a blast, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it actually was! It was so much more fun than this dump! In the Human World, I actually got to have fun! I don't see why you left."

"I left because I didn't fit in there. I was always an outsider; your father and everyone here in the Spirit World were the only real friends I had."

"What about Emi? She misses you like crazy! I would never abandon a friend like that."  
"I did what I did because I loved your father. If I didn't, you, Mai and Haru wouldn't be here."  
"You say you love him, but it doesn't look like that."

"What are you talking about?"  
"You never loved him! You only wanted to be immortal!"  
"That is not true! How could you say that?"  
"Because it _is_ true! You never loved any of us! You only care about yourself!" She was taken back. I didn't even believe what I was saying. But it was too late. My mom was already tearing up.

Tears.

I looked in my pocket and found a small vial. Kazue said I needed a teardrop. One would have been enough. The first teardrop came crashing down her cheek. As it fell, I quickly pulled out the vial without her noticing and it fell right into it. As I put it away, I walked out of the room and down the hall.

"What did I just do?" I asked myself. I couldn't answer that question. In fact, I was ashamed of myself.

**...Wow! Did any of you find it strange that Kaede felt remorse for Chihiro? She's starting to see the error of her ways. Kaede is still not talking to Ryo, but at she thanked him. They're starting to talk again :) Who do you think Kaede should go with, Ryo or Raiden? Please review and tell me your thoughts, it would make writing this so much better! Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	18. Chapter 18: Turning Tables

**Hi! Okay, this might be the last chapter I post for a while. I have a lot of work that needs to be done for school and if I don't finish, I'm toast. Once school starts and everything is settled down, I'll get right back on this. But for now, I think I'll leave you guys in the suspense for a while. Enjoy! ;)**

**Chapter 18: Turning Tables**

I couldn't believe what I had done. I didn't even know why I said the things I did. I didn't mean them, and now my mother hated me more than usually. For once, I actually cared what she thought of me. I didn't want to hate my parents, but I did.

My past was clouding my judgement. I wished I had realized it before it was too late, then things wouldn't have gotten out of hand.

"Kaede," I heard my name being called from the hallway. Rin. She was running towards me, and was bound to ask questions I didn't have the answers to.

"What did you do to your mom? She looks really upset." I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I brutally assaulted the last bit of good my mother saw in me. I ruined my last shot to turn things around.

"Don't you have baths to scrub? We have a job here. Just standing around doing absolutely nothing wastes our time." I walked past her to the supply closet, grabbing a sponge and a bucket of water.

But that wasn't going to stop Rin.

"Don't walk away like you didn't just break your mom's heart. I saw the way she looked. She doesn't even want to try anymore! You've driven her to the point where she's lost all hope."

"Maybe she's not the only one."

"Oh come on, Kaede; grow up! You think you're some hot shot who can do whatever she wants and her parents don't give a damn! I used to have parents like that, until I gave them that stupid potion. Now, I can't change it. It's like they have no control over me anymore."

"Must be lucky to be you, Rin." I said emotionless, walking over to the big tub. Once a month, my father would stick me with the worst job because of my behavior. I actually thought I deserved it this time.

"Kaede, if I could trade lives with yours, I'd do it in a heartbeat." And that was the last I heard from Rin until things took a turn for the worst. I didn't even bother telling her how terrible I felt. It was no use trying to make her understand.

And then there was Ryo. I still didn't know how I was going to handle that situation. We hadn't spoken in days. I was hoping he would be working that night, but the schedule suggested otherwise.

"Kaede," I turned my head to see a familiar face coming towards me.

"Raiden, hi," I said, "what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you. My parents took my sister to the restaurants, but I didn't want to go."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Well, they're my parents. I don't like spending too much time with them because they're..."

"Your parents?" I finished. We were exactly alike. Almost the same person.

"Yeah, pretty much." Raiden concluded. I wanted to talk to him about the note he gave me. It was really sweet. I didn't actually know if I liked him the way I did for Ryo, but it was worth a shot to find out.

"So, about tonight..."

"Huh?"

"Tonight, at midnight. I wanted to know what you had to talk to me about."

"Um, I'm sorry, I don't understand." Raiden actually looked confused. It couldn't have been him. It wasn't Raiden. If not him, then...

"Ryo..." I whispered.

"Who? Kaede, can you speak a little louder?"

"It's not you, is it?" I was wrong. Raiden looked very perplexed. I started walking slowly, backing away. I knew it was too good to be true. I ran away, all the way to the end of the bridge. Since my dad's curse was still active, there was no way I would get across.

"Why me? Why did the world have to pick me?" Ever since Mom told us her story, things have been so different. Everything was turning upside down. I placed my hands on the side of the bridge. Nothing was going my way, and it was tearing my world apart.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I've been wrong this whole time. I didn't mean to run away, I just wanted to show my parents that Mai and Haru weren't their only kids. I've been alone since I was very young, and I vowed to myself that I would never forgive my parents for that. But now...I do. I'm truly sorry."

"That was really touching." I turned around, shocked to see someone there. I thought I was alone. But I wasn't so mad to see Kazue. He was a friend, one of my only friends.

"Kazue, you're back," I hadn't realized the sun was setting. I had the teardrop. I had the next ingredient. What was stopping me?

"Since you're already here, I guess I don't need to go in and have a bath. Do you have it?" I pulled out the vial, containing one teardrop. He reached over to take it, but I pulled my arm back.

"I'm done." Two words I should not have said.

"Excuse me?" Kazue looked angry. I could see it in his eyes. They changed from a soft blue to an enraged red.

"I don't want to do this anymore. I don't feel any hatred toward my parents. I've been pushed around my whole life, and only one person was there for me. He didnt think of me as an evil spirit, but a troubled one."

"You may not have anything against your parents anymore, buy my hatred grows stronger every day."

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

"Did you honestly think that right when you needed someone's shoulder to lean on, I just happened to be there?"

"You planned this, you used me!" I was enraged at Kazue. I bet that wasn't even his name.

"Wow, she really is smart, Kawaoze."

"Didn't see it coming, Master." Another spirit appeared out if thin air, this one being a young woman. But that wasn't all.

"Kawazoe..." It hit me right then and there. They definitely weren't who they said they were.

"I see you're mom told you the story. Did she mention that the evil villains get what they want in the end?" Kawazoe began coming closer, and I instinctively pushed her away, but what shocked me the most was how far she landed.

"Master Kazume! I thought you said she lost her magic!" I stared at my hands. I could feel my magic coming back to me. The wall was down, and I was free.

Free to run for my life.

"Get her! She has the last ingredient!" I knew I had to go back inside the bathhouse. Everyone there was someone my parents trusted with their lives. Any one of them would help me escape from the clutches of theses fools.

"Osamu!" I shouted. He was at the podium, like he always was.

"Kaede, what's the matter? You look like you saw a human."

"These criminals are after me! The ones from my mom's story!" I turned around and saw them run in. And I was the first thing they saw.

"Get her, Osamu!" Kawazoe said. I turned around and saw Osmau grab rope. No one was there to see. I was alone with three criminals, and one was someone I trusted with my life. I was tied up, no where to run and no one to scream to.

"Osmau, you son of a bitch! How could you?"

"I've been here since the beginning. Ever thought there was a reason for that?" Kazue came up to me and grabbed my chin.

"It's over, little girl. You thought you're parents changed, but I don't see them here to rescue you." He signaled for Kawazoe to take me.

"Help! Someone, help me!"

"Let's go before the brat causes too much trouble." I wouldn't budge. I kept screaming, and it took all three to move me. Kawaoze turned into a dragon, like my father did. Only she was a dark dragon. I was being taken away, and they were going to get away with it.

"Kaede!" As they flew me away from the bathhouse, I saw my hero.

"Ryo! Get help!" He disappeared from sight, and I disappeared from the bathhouse. All I could think about was how things could get worse.

**Ryo's POV**

"Ryo! Get help!" I was running out of time. Kaede's words were stuck in my head. The three last words I thought I'd ever hear from her again. No one was in the lobby, not even Osmau. He was always there, even when no one else was.

"Rin! Rin!" She was in her apartment, looking outside. She obviously saw the same thing I just did. Rin turned around and stared at me.

"Was that...?" I nodded. She got up and we ran up the stairs to the top floor. I couldn't sit in an elevator and wait to get to the Nushi's. I had to keep moving. I was scared out of my mind, I didn't know what was going to happen to her. All I knew was that I needed to tell Kaede's parents immediately.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nushi!" I shouted down the hall and ran to their office. Rin was behind me, and we busted through the door. They were each at their desk, hard at work. Mrs. Nushi was staring at an object I had never seen before.

"Ryo, Rin. What's the problem?" Mr. Nushi asked.

"Kaede's been taken!" I shouted. I had never seen anyone so scared in their life. Things were getting out of hand.

**Wow! Now things are really heating up! Did anyone suspect that those two would come back? I did put them in at the end of my first fic. So now that Kaede has been taken, some unfinished business will go down between Chihiro, Haku, Kawazoe, and Kazume. We'll find out what they were planning from the start. Also, did anyone suspet Osamu? I wanted someone they trusted to turn on them, and Osamu was perfect. I hope to get back on this soon, but for now, I'll leave you all in suspense. **

**Anabelle ;)**


	19. Chapter 19: Impossibilities

**Hi! So were you all in suspense at the end of last chapter? I really hope you were, because now we're going deeper into this. We'll find out more about what Chihiro and Haku do, as well as Rin and Ryo. Rin has completely ignored the fact that she and Kaede had a huge fight. That's**** what true friends do, I guess. Well, I'm going to stop talking now. Enjoy... :)**

**Chapter 19: Impossibilities**

**A few minutes earlier, Chihiro's POV**

I was sitting at my desk, Haku directly across from me. I didn't know what was bothering me so much. Was it the fact that my daughter had just shown me exactly who she was? Or was it the person that I raised? Either way, I knew it was my fault.

Something happened to Kaede when she was young; something that Haku and I did to her. And now, she's using that anger against us now that she is older. Kaede used to be this sweet little innocent girl who would jump into her mother's arms whenever she felt sad or lonely. I only had Mai to do that now. Haru liked his father better, but that was reasonable.

"Chihiro?" I heard a voice calling me out. I looked up and saw Haku staring at me, curious as to what I was thinking of. It wasn't too hard to realize exactly what that was.

"What?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, "I know that what Kaede said to you was a bit overwhelming, but if you need me, I'm always here for you." I gave him a smile and thanked him. I didn't need him to tell me that, though. I needed Kaede to say that.

"Haku, where did you put those files I asked about?" He pointed to the drawer on the side and I tried opening it, but it wouldn't budge. There was something on the inside blocking it from opening. I tried harder, but all that happened was me falling to the ground, dropping hundreds of business forms everywhere.

"Seriously?" I shouted. I began using my magic to sort each one, when I realized there were extras. _How could__ there be extras? _And beyond the fallen paperwork, I noticed the edge of two sheets of paper, hanging from the side of my desk underneath the drawer I just brutally opened. Curious, I opened the bottom drawer. Inside, I found what I was looking for.

"Oh my," I picked up the small, blue object lying in the drawer. Slowly, I sat down, staring at it for what seemed like ages. I hadn't seen anything like it in years, and I realized what Yubaba was talking about this entire time. She had left me the exact object I would need.

"Mr. and Mrs. Nushi!" I heard our names being called out. Rin and Ryo had burst through the door, panting out of breath. Haku took the liberty of asking what they were doing.

"Ryo, Rin. What's the problem?" he asked.

"Kaede's been taken!" Ryo asked. I immediately dropped the object that had mesmerized me for the past few minutes.

"What!" I shouted. I was in disbelief. I wasn't sure if I heard them correctly. Kaede couldn't have been taken. Anyone who tried would have been beaten without a fight. There was no way Kaede wouldn't give up that easily. They must have had magic.

And that was my next question: Who did that?

"Calm down, you two," Haku said. I didn't know he could react this composed after hearing his daughter was just taken. "Now, Ryo, who was it?"

"I…I don't know. I didn't see their face. But they were both dragons, one the color of the darkest black I had ever seen." I gasped. Suddenly, I found myself searching through my desk looking for a certain jar in particular. I hadn't needed to use it in the longest time, but there was no other dragon I knew the color Ryo had described.

"Haku," I said, showing him the jar, which held a few black scales, "I think I know who it was." He shook his head, meaning he knew where I was going with this. And he didn't like it.

"No, that's impossible," He replied, "We saw them…they're gone! It couldn't be possible!"

"This is was Erikku was talking about," I said, ignoring his words, "Kawazoe and Kazuma are back, and you know it."

"It's impossible!" He shouted.

"Nothing's impossible," I said. Haku didn't want to believe me. He was forcing his mind to not accept the facts. Me, being once human, could only look at the facts. Before I knew about this world, I only viewed theories by how many facts backed it up. All the facts were in, and Haku was ignoring the truth.

"Come on, Haku," I said, "we have to find her." Haku looked at me with disappointed eyes, but he seemed to be disappointed in himself. As much as he disapproved of my statement, he knew we had to go look for her.

"Alright," He replied, "where do we go from here?"

"We're going to." Rin was certain we would bring them along, but I couldn't allow it. I couldn't risk them being taken as well, or worse. I was not going to put their lives in danger.

"As much as I admire your commitment to help Kaede, I cannot allow it. If either one of you is hurt or taken, I would never forgive myself."

"But we'll be fine! Mrs. Nushi, we would be helpful in every way, I promise you." Rin was not letting down, but I had to decline once more. It was going to be a very dangerous road ahead. There was no turning back.

"We'll be back as soon as possible," I told Rin and Ryo. Haku was already in his dragon form, and I was about to climb on. But before I did, I grabbed the small, blue object on my desk. "Please, tell Mai and Haru anything but the truth." They both nodded as we took off. What lay ahead was entirely up to fate. And, of course, Erikku.

**Ryo's POV**

Mr. and Mrs. Nushi had just left to find Kaede. Rin and I volunteered to help, but they wouldn't allow us to go. I knew it would be a dangerous mission, but we were very useful in our experienced fields.

"We're going, right?" I asked her. She nodded in response.

"And I know where to find Kaede." Rin ran out the door, indicating that I should follow. How could she have known? There were no clues and no other way of knowing. Nevertheless, I followed her down the long hallway to the end, where Mai and Haru's room was located. She slowly opened the door and found the twins playing swords with each other. And the majority of the battle was hitting the room. Some things were broken, and their parents were not going to like it.

"Rin…Ryo…" Mai began. She was lost for words. Nothing could explain what we say, until she collapsed down to our feet. "Please don't tell our Mom and Dad! We'll get in so much trouble!"

"Mai, don't worry," Rin said, putting a finger to her lips, "your secret is safe with us." She smiled and walked back to Haru.

"We need something of yours," I told them.

"Oh, what is it?" They asked. I pointed to the golden ring sitting on the table.

"Why do you need my communications ring?" Mai asked. She was always the smarter of the two, curious about every little detail. I wasn't going to tell her their sister was kidnapped and we needed that to find her. I was never a good liar, but thankfully Rin stepped in.

"I need to talk to my grandmother," Rin blurted out. It was a stupid answer, since she's never even seen her grandmother. But Mai didn't know that. Once she had her answer, Mai willingly gave us the ring.

"Thank you so much," Rin said.

"And you'll keep our secret?" Haru asked, "We'll clean it up, I promise."

"Don't worry," I told them, "we're good at keeping secrets." And we ran out as fast as we could. We climbed down the long staircase to the next floor, where I lived. I searched my pocket for the key, and dropped it when I took it out. I was very nervous about what had been going on for the past few minutes.

"Ryo, hurry!" Rin was becoming inpatient with me. I bent down and picked up the key, opening the door with no problem after. Rin ran to the kitchen and she placed the ring on the counter. I checked the rooms to see if my parents were home.

"We're clear," I told her. She placed the ring on her finger and changed the dial to point towards the wall.

"Kaede Nushi!" She shouted, and instantly, a holographic picture of her showed up in my house.

"Oh no," I whispered.

"This is going to be harder than I thought." I had to agree with Rin. Whatever we did from then on determined Kaede's fate.

**Kaede's POV**

You'll never get what you want!" I shouted. Kawazoe had my hands tied to a pole. I was taken to their lair. It's funny how "lair" and "liar" are similar, because I was lied to the whole time so they could do God knows what to me.

"Shut your mouth, brat," Kawazoe said, "we already have what we want, so there's no point in screaming. No one can hear you from here."

"Then why do you need me?"

"Because you know about us, and you're a big mouth."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Quiet!" We looked to Kazuma, who had his hand on his forehead. It put a smile on my face to see I was getting on his nerves. He was sitting at a desk with the ingredients I had given. I realized that what he wanted to make was not going to help me at all. In fact, it would do the exact opposite.

"I need to concentrate, and I can't do that when you two are fighting over nothing!" He seemed to get irritated very easily. That was his weakness and my advantage.

"So, what are you even doing? You first told me this would help my parents understand me better, but I'm sure that was just a little lie." Kazuma didn't say anything. He just looked at each ingredient in a perplexed way.

"Come on, who am I going to tell down here? We're practically a hundred feet underground. The only other person here is Kawazoe, and she's been your assistant for over sixteen years!"

Again, he refused to talk.

"I guess I could always include Osamu. He's been working for you for I don't even know how long." Osamu had been with us as well, and that didn't seem to bother him. I just couldn't wait for my parents to find out the truth. Then things would be straightened out. If only they knew where to look.

"Oh get over it, kid," Osamu said, "I've been a dedicated follower of Kazuma since before you were born. Taking an inside job was the most important part of the mission."

"Thanks for lying to the whole family, we really appreciate it." I said in the most sarcastic way. I had years of practice with my mom.

"You don't know what they did to us. All we wanted was to be noticed. We were good once. And then your Uncle Kage goes around telling everyone we were the cause of that horrifying volcanic eruption years ago, that we only meant destruction. We were known as the Dark Spirits. Your uncle started this, and then your parents decided to end our existence."

"Maybe because you were evil! Anyone could see that!"

"You didn't at first," Kazuma replied. He finally said something, and I had no words to reply to that.

"Face it, you thought I was going to help you, and now that you know who I truly am, you can't stand the sight of me."

"True, but I thought you would help make my life easier. Anyone would have done what I did." Kazuma didn't even look at me. He just kept staring at the vials I had given him. What a mistake that was. I really only wanted to know what he was planning to do with them.

"If you realized how great your life was, you wouldn't have come to me in the first place." I didn't understand what he was saying. My life was not what he thought it was like.

"Are you kidding? My life is anything but easy." Kazuma turned his chair around and got close up to my face. He meant business.

"Name three reasons why I should have helped you," He said in the coldest tone possible. That was a no brainer. I had a thousand reasons why I asked for his help.

"My parents don't care about me in the least bit," That was the main reason for all of this happening.

"Yes, that's why they wanted to raise you and call you their daughter. Or maybe it's because of all the hours they put in to make your life less complicated than theirs. They spent years trying to teach you how to be good, but that was just a waste of time. You were born with evil in your heart." Silence filled the room. Kawazoe and Osamu had left when Kazuma began speaking to me, so it was just the two of us.

"Number two?" He asked.

"Okay..." I began, "my little siblings are annoying and don't ever leave me alone." He had to have known what it was like to have someone whining all day for a few minutes of attention.

"Did you ever think they thought of you as a role model? With two working parents, you're all they have. Mai and Haru look up to you, hoping to be like you one day. I can't see why; their hearts are completely pure." I had to admit, Kazuma had a way to twist the words I was saying. It was almost as if he had planned to that I would say the things I did.

"I'm guessing you don't have a third option, so I'm just going to say it: you are a spoiled child who just wanted a little more."

"I am anything but a spoiled child! " I shouted in his face, "my siblings get all the attention! I have to act like a delinquent child just for them to notice I exist! I'm a bad kid because of my parents! You have no idea what it is like to be me!"

Kazuma smiled. He turned his chair back around and began pouring the ingredients into one big vial. The colors changed from blue, to brown, then to red. I started to worry when the mixture began to glow.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Let's just say your parents are in for a treat when they come to get you."

**What does Kazuma have planned for them? He obviously is looking for revenge for what they did to him, and he took Kaede to lure them over. Hopefully, I'll be able to upload faster now that school's been alright. Expect to see these on the weekends, though. Thanks!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	20. Chapter 20: Death Trap

**Hey! I know. I should have posted this a loooooong time ago. But with school, me being on tennis, and, of course, homework, things get a little crazy. But during school I got bored so I decided to work on the next chapter! Just a little heads up, a familiar character comes up at the end. That's how cruel I am, I put them in at the end. Sorry!**

**Chapter 20: Death Trap**

**Chihiro's POV**

He was not going as fast as I hoped he would. Our little girl was somewhere in the Spirit World, and we hadn't the slightest idea where to search. She was being held captive by the people I believed were dead for over sixteen years. I understood Haku was doing the best he could, but I needed to see my little girl. I needed to hold her in my arms once more and never let go.

If we had been more careful with Kaede this may have been avoided. Haku and I tried to be strict while also giving her specific freedoms, but like any teenager, human or spirit, she wanted more, to be able to do things without her parents nagging her about every little aspect of her life. I felt like Kaede wished for a different life, wished for a different mother. I had failed to raise her the way my parents raised me. After she and Ryo ran away that day, Haku and I lost it. We took away her last bit of freedom.

And that confused me even more. How could she have left a second time? Whether she absconded willingly or not, there was no possible way Kaede was able to penetrate Haku's force field he placed around the perimeter of the bathhouse. It was impossible. Even magic had some logic to it, and this defied it entirely.

"Haku, take us to Granny and Yubaba's, I think we may be able to find her after all." With that idea in mind, he promptly changed directions. We now set course for the twins' cottage in Swamp Bottom. It hadn't been too long since we last visited their home, but there was never essentially a plan of when we visited them.

"Do you think they could help us? I can't help but think they're our only hope." Haku was silent, but that was normal. Spirits like him were unable to communicate in their dragon state. I continued anyway. "There another reason for our visiting them. When I opened the drawer in my desk before we received the news, I found something." The small, blue object was held tightly in my hand. I was holding it to show Yubaba. "I know what Yubaba was talking about all these years. What she wanted me to find was in her desk this entire time!"

As the last stop became closer and the light post becoming clearer, Haku swiftly aimed for the ground. I held onto his horns with great force as if my life depended on it. He gently landed and I climbed down from his back. He transformed back and we ran into the cottage at full speed.

"Granny! Yubaba! We need your help!" I shouted. There was no need for that, seeing as though the entire family was in the kitchen. Zeniba was making tea at the stove, No-Face was spinning at the spinning wheel, and Yubaba was reading a tome. It was an old spell book, one she must have had for centuries. The only one that wasn't there was Boh, but he was most likely taking a nap, as he did quite often.

"Chihiro, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a human. But I guess that would be normal for you, wouldn't it?" She chuckled at her humorous joke, but I was not in the mood for such childish behavior.

"Kaede's been taken!" Gasps filled the air and the laughter stopped. Even Yubaba seemed shocked at the horrifying news.

"What?! Who would do such a thing to a sweet girl like Kaede?" Zeniba asked.

"Go on, dear," Haku said, "tell them who you think it was." I did not appreciate Haku's sarcasm. I knew it was true. It had to have been. However, I did believe someone else may have been working for them. There was no way for either of the two to receive the knowledge they may already have known from their hiding place somewhere in the Spirit World. One of our employees was the culprit, and I was ready to fire whoever they were. "I'm telling you, it was them! Honest! Who else would it have been, huh?"

"Who?" The twins asked harmoniously in suspicion.

"I...I believe it was Kazuma and Kawazoe," Again, the room filled with gasps. Except for a not so surprised Zeniba.

"I feared this were true..." Zeniba whispered under her breath, but to our advantage, I heard it all.

"What do mean by _that, _Granny?" I asked in a very annoyed tone. her face reddened, as if she were not supposed to say anything.

"Uh...well, I..." She was hesitant to answer, but I did not mind. She was going to tell me.

"Zeniba, what do you mean by that? Have you been hiding something for the past sixteen years?" Yubaba seemed even more furious than I was. Since I first came to the Spirit World, their relationship had grown stronger and they were tolerant of one another greater than anyone ever expected. WHen one keeps a secret from the other, it makes them wonder why their relationship is where it's at.

"It was not that I didn't want you to know, I just thought it would be best if you didn't." That was no excuse. We had the right to know. "And it was not as if I had known all this time! In fact, I only questioned the thought until after Kaede had become a teenager. One day, my golden seal, which normally floats a few inches off the ground, just fell. It almost broke into a million pieces if No-Face wasn't there to save it." No-Face answered with a soft _uh_ sound. "I released the head and found that inside the seal was a pool of black water, instead of its normally pure water. As I poured it outside, I noticed the cause of it." Zeniba began to rummage through the cabinents until she found a small jar. Inside was a small, black scale. Only one spirit had skin as dark as that.

"Kawazoe," I whispered. The sound of her name was bitter on my tongue and burned my ears. Hate was not a trait I favored, but Kawazoe and Kazuma could not be loved by anyone but themselves. The way they acted towards me and my family was cruel and audacious. "There must be some way we could stop them. We need to bring Kaede back, no matter how high the stakes are."

"Why didn't you say so?" Came a familiar voice. If I had known he was standing there in one of the darker corners the entire time of our conversation, I most definitely would have said something. It would be rude not to acknowledge his prescene. "I think I may have an answer to your questions."

"Erikku," I replied, bowing, "this is what you meant by me being in danger. Kawazoe and Kazuma are back, and they want something. But why did they take Kaede? She's just a sweet, innocent little girl." He left the solitude of his corner and sat down next to Yubaba. We all took a seat as well.

"Well, for one, Kaede is your most precious possession. You would do anything for her, which means if they had control her, you would do anything for them." His logic seemed to be correct, but there was no clear point to everything. What more could they want from me? "And they know, based on secret intel, she is no sweet, innocent little girl. At least, not anymore."

"Just save the proverbs and get to the point!" Haku shouted. He was becoming impatient with his riddles and poems, as was I. Erikku put his hand up to calm Haku's temper. That should have been fixed, since we killed the control slug in him and Kage. With that in mind, it got me thinking about how things were making more sense.

"The control slug," I whispered. Everyone stared at me in confusion as to what I had said. Erikku seemed to be the only one to understand what I was referring to. "It all makes sense! Kawazoe and Kazuma were able to control our lives by the slugs they placed in you and Kage!" My reasoning became clear to the rest of them. Erikku smiled, glad that I understood what he had known all along. Which, of course, increased my fury. "You knew this whole time! Our second visit to you: you knew Haku was under the spell, and for God knows how long!"

"Chihiro," Haku said, trying to calm me, "I'm sure he had a reason for not telling us."

"No! He just wanted to see how long it took for us to figure it out. He's a demon!" Calling the msot powerful spirit in the Spirit World a demon was not something I should have done. Demons were the lowest of spirits. To be a demon was to be hated by everyone in the Spirit realm. And Erikku took offense to that. He stood up and slammed him hands on the table, his face only inches from mine.

"Listen, you ungrateful human! I've helped you ever since Kaede was born! You were the one who didn't listen to me when I specifically said she would go down the wrong path! You were the one who let her get away! I had no part in her life! All I did was predict the truth! You need to start taking responsibility for your own mistakes! She's this way because you made her like this!"

"What did I do to Kaede that made her hate me so much?" Shouts were being exchanged, and now I was head to head with Erikku. He had the power to do anything, even disintegrate my body into ash. But he vowed never to use his magic to harm any creature. Therefore, I was untouchable.

"When did she start to walk?" He asked me. I didn't see the importance of that question for this conversation, but he began asking more questions, which most of them I did not have the answers to. "What is her favorite meal? Why is her favorite color blue? Why does she spend most of her time with Kamajii? Why does she hate working at the bathhouse? Who is she even in love with, for God's sake? Can you answer any of these truthfully?" I sat down, speechless. He was making me look like a terrible mother. I put my hands to my face, hiding my eyes so no one could see the tears streaming down. Haku placed a hand on my shoulder, but no amount of comfort would help. Erikku was right. About everything.

"Would you like me to answer these for you? They may help when you find Kaede." I nodded, not removing my hands. He continued anyway. "Her favorite meal is Mizo Soup, which is also yours. Her favorite color is blue because she is completely and utterly attracted to water, as is her father. She spends her time with Kamajii because he was a guardian to her when you were too busy to care for her. She hates working at the bathhouse because she fears she will be working there her entire life. She wants to do something more with her life. And as for the last question, there are a few possibilities." Haku seemed to become like my father for a minute.

"What do you mean by _a few _possibilities?" I found it hard not to laugh. Haku seemed to have gotten a few traits from my father, but any man in his position would feel the same. He was becoming the overprotective father. Erikku knew it was not the right time for us to worry about Kaede's love life, so he ignored Haku's question.

"Your assumptions were right, Chihiro," Erikku continued, "Master Kazuma and his apprentice, Kawazoe, indeed have kidnapped your daughter. I would say that if you don't find her within the next twelve hours, there will be some decisions made. Ones that will affect not only you, but the entire Human and Spirit World." Haku and I stared intently at him. Yubaba and Zeniba nodded. They were just as powerful and wise as Erikku, and knew almost exactly everything he knew.

"What could be so powerful that it's able to destroy both worlds at once?" But Erikku didn't respond. Instead, he began to disappear slightly, and soon he was almost completely invisible. "You're not looking hard enough. Try searching closer to the ground. Maybe even further." And with that, he had vanished, leaving us with more questions.

"Why can't he talk like a normal person?"

**Ryo's POV**

"Rin, this doesn't look good." I told her. She did not take her eyes off the holographic image of Kaede tied to a pole. Anyone in Kaede's situation would just sit there and wait for help. But I could tell what she was thinking of. We had a special connection, like back in the Human World, trying to outsmart her mother's old friend. While she hoped and prayed for rescue, I was able to identify what her eyes were thinking. She was making her move.

"What the hell is Kaede doing?" Rin asked. We both saw her unsuccessful attempt, and then, for a brief second I caught a glimpse of her captors. The coldest people known in the Spirit World. One of them, I was surprised to see, was Osamu.

"Osamu?" Rin and I said in unison. One glance at each other and we knew what we were to do. She disposed of the holographic image and placed the ring on the kitchen table. Rin opened the door and I followed her to the elevator. All these events were happening too quickly, and it was too much to take in at once. Osamu had always been a faithful employee to the Nushi family. Now, he was just a deserter.

"When I get my hands on that traitor..." Rin was completely enraged. She trusted him as much as anyone else. Osamu had been with the bathhouse since the re-opening. Mr. and Mrs. Nushi hired him because he was "a faithful leader" and "a hardworking employee." Whatever he did to trick them, it worked. And for everyone, as well.

"Well, we aren't going to waste our time just standing here waiting, are we?" I said. Rin looked at me and nodded. Nothing was going to stop us from helping our friend. Rin opened the door and motioned for me to follow. We ran down to the elevator and to our surprise, a not-so-friendly-face was there.

"Rin, Ryo," Raiden said. I ignored his gesture and I entered the elevator. Rin knew I loved Kaede, and she also knew Kaede was thinking about Raiden. She probably thought the letter I sent her was from him. I made it that way so she would want to meet me. It seemed as if every time I tried to tell her the truth, something got in the way. First it was Raiden, then it was those Dark Spirits. At the end of it all, I would tell her the truth. No matter what the costs.

"Hi, Raiden," Rin said, being polite. She stood in the middle of Raiden and me, knowing if she weren't things would go bad. Rin knew I loved Kaede, and she also knew Kaede had taken a liking towards Raiden.

"Do either of you know where Kaede is? We were talking earlier and she just ran out. She looked really upset."

"Did you think it was probably something you said?" I replied. Rin gave me a dirty look, but I was being truthful.

"Uh, I don't think so," He replied.

"Really? I think that's what it was." Rin was giving me the "stop it or I'll kill you" look.

"Look, Ryo, if you have a problem-"

"Just stay away from Kaede, alright? She's got enough problems!"

"I don't know if you've realized this yet, but I really like Kaede! She's pretty and funny and really cool!" I was getting angrier by the minute. I wanted to throw him out of the elevator right then and there. But I was more civil than that. I didn't use actions, I used words.

"That's all you can say? You barely even know her! Kaede is beautiful! She's amazing and cares for people and she's adventurous. Kaede is the funniest girl I've ever met and...and..." I was just going to blurt it out and say, "I'm in love with her."

**Kaede's POV**

"You know, just because my escape plan didn't work doesn't mean yours will." After my attempt to escape had failed, Kawazoe and Osamu took chains and placed them around my wrists and ankles. Kazuma, being the leader of their little gang, did nothing to stop me. He was working on perfecting his potion, which was still a mystery to me.

"You know, kid, every word you say gets on my nerves ever so slightly more." Kazuma replied, placing his hands on his forehead. I smirked at that remark.

"Then I guess I'm doing my job correctly." Osamu tightened the chains around me whenever I mentioned anything vulgar about Kazuma. His loyalty towards Kazuma demonstrated to be far more dedicated than anything he has done for my parents. Osamu practically raised me, along with Kamajii. To feel this much heartbreak was unbearable.

But I couldn't worry about him. Not now. I had something else to think about, like howI was going to stop Kazuma. His potion looked nearly complete, and I was deathly afraid to find out what it was. Whenever it glowed, his smile grew wider. Whenever the light stopped, he looked completely pissed off. There was no telling what that thing was, and Kazuma certainly was not doing anything to give me answers.

"You enjoyed the Human World, didn't you?" I gasped. It had happened just a week ago, and no but the employees of the bathhouse knew what had happened. I looked to Osamu, who smiled his evil smile. He told Kazuma everything about us. He probably told him about Ryo and Rin as well. "Does it matter? I'll never be able to return. Once my parents rescue me, I'll be stuck at the bathhouse for the rest of eternity." Kazuma laughed. He thought my pain was funny. I took offense to that.

"What if I told you I could make you human?" Once more, I gasped. Was it even possible? It happened to my mother, but that was the other way around. This was an easier process; however, no spirit has ever given up their immortality to live the life of a human. But there was one thing humans had that I never believed would be given to me: freedom.

"Osamu," Kazuma said strictly. Osamu ran to his side like he was a puppy and Kazuma was his master. "I think it's time to bring in the parents." The two of them smiled, which made me queasy inside. Their plan seemed to be working for the most part. If only I could be free of the chains... "Take Kawazoe and bring them to me. Then, we'll reunite them with their precious daughter." Osamu and Kawazoe nodded, and then they vanished.

"So what do you plan on doing?" I asked, "My parents will kick your ass just like they did over sixteen years ago." I was trying to make him sweat, make him believe that what I was saying was true. But he was no fool. "I don't want to hear such things." He replied, "They put me in a bad mood."

"Once they see Osamu and Kawazoe they'll surely believe. Then they will see how Osamu has betrayed my family." Kazuma laughed his malicious laugh. "Foolish little girl! You may know that your dear friend, Osamu, is one of us, but your blind parents won't. Did you honestly think I would send them out in the open without a plan?"

**Ryo's POV**

It did not happen. I did not say it. No matter how hard I tried to believe it was false, the big eyes and wide mouths told me otherwise. I was completely and utterly embarrassed. Luckily, we were at our stop. As the elevator door opened, a young woman stood in front of us. She had long, brown hair that ran down her back and her eyes looked like those of Kaede's. I could tell she was new, but she seemed to have known this place.

"Hi, can we help you with something?" I asked, avoiding the questions Raiden and Rin were about to ask me.

"Yes, you might." She said, "I'm looking for the owners, Chihiro and Haku. Are they here?"

"They, um, went out..." Rin said, "I don't know when they'll be back, but if you could give me your name I'll let them know you stopped by." The woman smiled and laughed. Who was she?

"Oh, that's just like Chihiro. Leave the day her sister comes back." Again, big eyes and wide mouths.

"Her sister?" Rin and I shouted. Raiden didn't know the family as well as we did, and we knew for a fact that Mrs. Nushi was an only child.

"Not biologically," she stated, "we're just really close friends. My name is Emi, but you can call me Lin."

**Wha-What? She's back? Yep! I decided to bring her back! And right in the nick of time, don't you think? Haha, I thought she might be helpful in one way or another. But there are still a whole bunch problems going on. Kaede's got a HUGE problem. What was Kazuma saying about making her human? Crazy, huh? Again, I'm sorry this is late, but I was super busy! I'll try and update by the end of next week. Thanks for all my supporters, and reviews are always helpful! Just a thought :)**

**Anabelle ;)**


	21. Chapter 21: The Effect of the Cause

**Hi! So I know I left you with that surprise ending with Lin at the end, but hopefully you'll understand more about her whereabouts...next chapter. :( This one had too much to do with Kaede and it wouldn't fit in with the title. The Cause: Kaede helping Kazuma and Kazwazoe. The Effect: Well, you're just going to have to read and find out. :) **

**Chapter 21: The Effect of the Cause **

**Chihiro's POV**

"Chihiro, I think there may be a way to find Kaede." Granny always had the best ideas. She constantly knew what was needed to be done and how to get it done. That was why she, as well as her sister, was one of the most awed spirits in the land. Yubaba was the most feared out of the two, but she earned that title when she opened the bathhouse.

"What are you thinking, Granny?" I asked. She was rummaging through the cabinets once more, looking for the answer to our problems. She pulled out her most prized possession: the golden seal.

"You think that old thing can help?" I asked. It was very old and the magic seemed to grow weaker by the day. But Zeniba always had faith in magic, no matter how little or immense the amount.

"Of course I do!" She shouted, "This seal has helped me on many occasions! Trust me, Chihiro." Trust was hard to give and harder to keep, I thought. However, I nodded. Granny never failed me before, and she wouldn't have then.

"Now, let's get this started." Zeniba sat down at the head of the table, everyone else surrounding the sides. Even No-Face wanted to be a part of it. She placed the golden seal directly in front of her and it began floating only a few inches away. Yubaba and she were casting a spell that was so inaudible a dog wouldn't even hear the whispers I did. The golden seal's head opened its mouth and stuck out its tongue.

"I don't suppose either of you have something of hers on you?" Granny asked. Haku opened his coat and began searching for something.

"Would a bit of her magic work?" She nodded. As he began rummaging around his coat, Haku seemed to become fretful, because he couldn't find what he was looking for. "What?" He questioned, "It…it can't be!"

"Haku, where is her magic?" I asked. He threw his coat on the table, but there was no glowing magic anywhere. And once again, things were beginning to make sense.

"Wait, do you think…she really…" Haku nodded; he understood what I was suggesting. Kaede had finally apologized for her misconduct! She realized how wrong she was for running away. Kaede wanted to make amends with us and ask for forgiveness.

"The moment she apologized her magic returned to her! And the wall came down! That's how Kawazoe and Kazuma were able to take her." My tone saddened after I realized her forgiving us was one of the reasons how she was taken. If she had been stubborn for just one more day at the least Kawazoe and Kazuma wouldn't have been able to take her.

"Do you have anything else of Kaede's?" Granny asked, trying to keep the positivity. I looked down. I couldn't think of anything we had that belonged to Kaede.

"Mom!" Screams came rushing through the front door of the cottage. Even though Zeniba was my Granny, she was also Yuki's mother. And she, along with Kage, Hamano, and Taro, came rushing through the door.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Granny asked. They took a moment to breathe and question why Haku and I were there. "Why are they here? Do you already know?" I figured Yuki realized Kawazoe and Kazuma were back. "Yes, Kaede has been kidnapped by them. How did you-"

"Wait, Kaede was kidnapped?" Kage asked, surprised by my response, "By whom?" Obviously they were worried about something other than our daughter. Which meant something bigger and worse was going on. "I thought you two knew," I replied, "I thought that's why you came here."

"What? I thought she was back at the bathhouse. Kage and I finished work and the other employees said you two were gone. But what I'm thinking of is far greater than anything you could ever imagine! I didn't think it was possible!" Kage cut her off to explain. "We saw Osamu with…well…"

"Kawazoe?" I asked, "Or was it Kazuma? I don't care, either way they're getting a hell of a punishment!" I was enraged. I wanted to eradicate the two Dark Spirits once more, but I wanted this time to be more painful. I wanted to be the last thing they saw before they took their last breath. No one messed with me or my family without paying a hefty price.

"How did you know they were even alive?" Yuki questioned.

"Because," I began, "they were the ones who took Kaede." Yuki looked as though she were going to have a heart attack. Luckily, she was a spirit and that was near impossible. She took a seat next to me and stared at the table. Kage placed a hand on her shoulder and comforted her. Yuki and Kaede were very close, and what I had told her tore apart her world.

"We could use your help in finding her," I suggested. Kage nodded in agreement. However, I had completely ignored the reason why Kage and Yuki had come in the first place.

"We could ask Osamu," Yuki said, "I was afraid to get any closer, but he and Kawazoe aren't that far from here." Kawazoe. I was hoping it would be her. She was just as ruthless as Kazuma, but I had a bone to pick with her.

"Granny, we'll be right back. I promise." I looked her straight in the eye and swore to her. I was going to catch Kawazoe and force her to admit to everything. Yuki told Hamano and Taro to stay with Granny and Aunt Yubaba until they returned. Taro was still young and didn't understand much of what was happening, but Hamano was old enough to help him through it.

"Come on," I ordered, "We don't have much time. Erikku was here and said we had at most twelve hours, or else…"

"Or else what?" Yuki and Kage asked in unison. I bite my lip and looked at Haku.

"We'll tell you on the way."

**Kaede's POV**

"Hello? I would like a little explanation here!" I was becoming very impatient with Kazuma. He wouldn't give me any information about how things were to play out in the next few hours. I felt that was all we would have left before his plan was fulfilled.

"Do you ever shut up?" He shouted. I was driving his nerves to the limit, and I was very pleased with my work. He deserved every annoying word out of my mouth. "I do when I get what I want."

"You're parents must have spoiled you more than I thought. I never knew why they wanted more children. After their first, I would have been done."

"Hello? Your insults are still capable of being heard!" Even though my arms and legs were tied up, my mouth was open wide. He couldn't do anything about that at the moment. He was trying to concentrate on the potion. There was something too familiar with each of the ingredients. Only the teardrop didn't make sense to me. Each item was connected to my mother in one way or another. They all were all natural part of her. I gave Kazuma the hair, he forcefully took the teardrop, but how he obtained the last ingredient was beyond me. I couldn't even give it a name.

"I'm already here," I began, "there's no way I could get out. Why not just tell me your plan? Who am I going to tell?" He looked up from his desk and stared at me intensively.

"Well, since there is no possible way you could escape from those chains," I nodded in agreement. "Alright, you want to know the lowdown?" I nodded, excited to hear what all these events were leading up to be. I was anything but excited when he finished.

"The first ingredient: hair. It is a part of your mother's body, which means it's a part of her soul. Her hair is who she is. It is also one similarity you two share." I stared at my chocolate brown hair. It was exactly like my mother's. He was right about that. "I'm guessing you remember when your mother's hair was cut off, huh?" I gasped. That wasn't too long ago. That was on Mai and Haru's birthday. "Yes, that was the negligence of Kawazoe, who didn't understand that it had to be one full strand, not just a small, simple cut off version."

"And then there's a teardrop. Tears happen when people cry. On most occasions, people cry when they are sad. I knew how often you and your mother fought, and assumed it wouldn't take much for her to cry over her delinquent daughter. Kawazoe wasn't skilled enough to collect a simple teardrop, but you obtained it fairly easily."

"And lastly, my favorite of them all!" Kazuma grabbed one of the bottles, the one I was unable to describe. The red coloring did not bode well with me. "Blood." I did not show my fear. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't. However, inside, I went crazy. How was he able to acquire blood from my mother? Hardly anyone bled in the Spirit World. There was almost no possible way. "You're obviously curious as to how I was able to gain your mother's blood. It was hard, I should say. I had to make sure everything was perfect. The fog was the perfect distraction."

"That was you?" I shouted. Things started making sense to me. I noticed my mom cut her arm the day of Mai and Haru's birthday. Then her hair was slice off on one side. The only thing they needed from me was the teardrop and a new piece of hair. I was their pawn.

"You catch on fast," Kazuma said, "Things are about to change not only for you and me, my dear, but for everyone, both spirits _and_ humans." My eyes widened. Nothing that powerful had ever been done before. "What are you talking about? That's impossible. If anything were to happen, it would happen to one world, not both. It's just-"

"Impossible, I know," he whined, "you think everything is impossible. Well listen here, deary, in the Spirit World, nothing is impossible. The sooner you learn that the better." I wanted to burst into tears. He was winning, and there was no way I could stop him. I wanted to fight back from the chains, but the more I resisted the tighter they got. (Osamu had magic, too.) The only thing that I couldn't get off my mind was how hungry and thirsty I was.

"Need a snack?" Kazuma asked, not wasting any effort to look me in the eye. "Here," he teleported a bowl of Mizo Soup and a glass of water, "You'll need your strength when your parents arrive." My hunger took over. The bowl was just as far as my chains would let my arms go. I benevolently ate the delicacy given to me. Seconds later, the last thing I saw was a smile on that wretched man's face.

**Chihiro's POV**

"Osamu! Osamu!" I was riding on the back of Haku's dragon form and Yuki was on Kage's. We had traveled not too far when Yuki spotted our most trusted employee and the prisoner he had captured. Kawazoe. She was tied up with magic rope. No spell could break it. Only the person who cast it could release his or her victim.

"Chihiro, Master Kohaku," He said, bowing to us. Haku and Kage landed on the ground and changed back. Yuki and I stood next to them. "What a pleasure to see you. I was just on my way to the bathhouse to inform you that-"

"That the Dark Spirits had returned," I finished his sentence, "Yes, I am aware of their emergence. They took Kaede." Osamu gasped. "What?" He questioned. I nodded.

"So, Kawazoe," I began, moving in closer to her, "nice to see you again." She gave a sarcastic smile. "Likewise. How's the daughter?" My smile faded as I slapped her across the cheek. "Don't talk about my daughter that way. You and your so-called leader Kazuma took her. Now, where is she?"

"Honestly, Chihiro, how stupid do you think I am?" She replied, and ended with a laugh. "Pretty damn stupid, I thought," It brought me great pleasure to wipe the smile of her face. But it was not the time for cracking jokes. I needed to know where my daughter was. I needed to find her and bring her home and tell her everything would be okay. And then, somehow help her to forget everything that had happened.

"No matter where you look, you'll never find her. Kaede's locked away tight, and no amount of searching will find her. Unless…" I hated making bargains with the enemy, but in situations like that, I had to hear her out. "What?" I asked.

"In exchange for my freedom and for Kazuma and me to roam free around the Spirit World, I will show you where your daughter is." It was a hard deal. Kaede would be returned to us if we gave them total sovereignty.

"Chihiro, we have to think about this," Haku said, "We can find her; we don't need Kawazoe. Erikku gave us the clue. We just need to follow that." As much as my motherly instinct was telling me to agree with Kawazoe, my common sense was telling me Haku was right. But how could I give up the opportunity to find my daughter on the knowledge of Erikku? He had helped us before. He predicted what had happened and everything was true. I never doubted him before, and I didn't in the time I needed him most.

"You know?" I said, "You can take your offer and shove it." The smile on her face faded, and I stood next to my husband. We were a team, and nothing was going to pull us apart. "I'll tell Kazuma we saw you. Then I'll give you two a nice reunion…in prison." I turned away to face Yuki and Kage, and they smiled at me. I smiled back.

"Chihiro, you are making a huge mistake!" Kawazoe shouted, "I am the only one who knows where Kaede is located. You back out on me, you back out on her."

"I don't need to listen to your crap, alright?" I replied, "I will find her, and you will lose. Again." Osamu grabbed her tied-up arms and walked her away.

"So, I guess we can-" Yuki didn't even finish her sentence. She instantly fell to the ground, unconscious. Kage grabbed her and held her head. "Yuki!" Kage was next. He lay next to her unconscious. Haku joined them, but before I was next, I saw our captors. And he was going to be much more than fired when I was through with him.

**Ryo's POV**

"So Chihiro and Haku had three kids, the oldest being the little brat. Kaede was helping that bastard Kazuma and his bitch Kawazoe because she hated her mom and wanted her life to be easier, but in reality they were just using her for those ingredients which you two still don't know what they'll be used for?"

"Wow, you've been away from here way longer than I thought, Emi." Rin said. We all were running out of the bathhouse. Raiden was oblivious to what was going on so we left him behind. He would have gotten in the way. We made it to the bridge by the time Emi was briefed on the way things had been for the past sixteen years.

"Please, I asked to be called Lin. Out in the world, I'm Emi. At the bathhouse, my name is Lin. All I needed was my real name and I was free, but now that I have it, I so desperately wish to be Lin." Once we made it to the bridge, we were clueless. There was no way to go anywhere except by foot. None of us had the kind of magic to get to where we needed to go.

"Great," Rin said, "now what?" She was always a downer on things, but I was still optimistic. The Spirit World had ways of helping those in desperate situations.

"For now, we walk." I said. I started the journey, but the two girls were reluctant to follow me. "Come on, Rin," Lin said, "What's the worst that could happen?" And with that, we were off into the woods, but what lay ahead was beyond us.

**So, everything that's going on is a result of Kaede's decision. Because she helped them, Chihiro, Haku, Kage, and Yuki are now the next victims of Kazuma; Kaede is trapped and there is no way of escaping; Ryo FINALLY proclaimed his love for Kaede to someone other than Rin that one time; and Lin coming back...that'll be explained next chapter. Most of next chapter will consist of Ryo, Rin, and Lin. And don't get confused with Rin and Lin. L for Chihiro's friend, R for Kaede's friend. I figured it would be easier to call her Lin since everyone knows her by that. Keep reading and please stay with me to the end! I'm hoping to have more than 25 chapters, but probably less than 30. Thanks to all my supporters!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	22. Chapter 22: The Underground

**Hello again! I'mreally sorry to keep you all waiting, but I had to juggle school, sports, and, of course, homecoming! If people didn't go in groups, I wouldn't have gone to any of the homecomings my school has had! Anyway, since that's over now, I got straight back to this! I hate to say this, but the story is not as popular as my last one. That's understandable; most sequels aren't. But I would like to thank those who have stayed strong and continued reading and reviewing, especially Vampireninja101, The Queen of Water, and Uylss! Thanks for your reviews! :)**

**Chapter 22: The Underground**

**Ryo's POV**

"Ugh! How long have we been walking?" Rin was becoming impatient and lethargic too easily. She was beginning to get on my nerves. She would ask me every two minutes how long we had been walking, and it wasn't even sundown. When that time came, I would have to shut her up, literally. Otherwise, the forest spirits would hear us.

"Come on, Rin! It's only been a half hour!" I shouted. I was becoming impatient with her, at the moment. "Do you ever want to see Kaede again?" That made her quiet down. She nodded and stared at her feet. "Alright, then we keep moving." I led the group through the woods, hoping I would somehow figure out where we were going. I was bad at directions, and this expedition proved it.

"Ryo, we're lost," Lin said. I figured she would be the most patient out of all of us. I should have paid more attention to Mrs. Nushi's stories. They probably talked a lot about her. "We've been walking in this God forsaken forest and we haven't found anything. She's not here, I can tell."

"How?" I asked her. She pulled out her bag and began searching through it. In a matter of seconds, she held a ring in front of me. "Are communications rings a popular thing or something?" I asked. It seemed like everyone had one these days. Even the little twins of terror had one of their own.

"I'll prove to you she's not here." Lin put the ring on her finger and pointed the dial at one tree. She shouted Kaede's full name and an image of her appeared in a hologram. She was being held in a prison, her hands tied up by chains to a pole. Rin placed her hand over her mouth. I just wanted to kneel down and burst into tears.

"I made it so no one can see us, so if Kazuma is in the room, he won't know we're watching." Lin was clever at ideas, and she knew more about the Spirit World than any of us. It was pure luck we met her before we began our journey to find Kaede. In the blink of an eye, Kazuma appeared next to Kaede. It didn't shock her that he was there. He was too close to her. I was becoming more furious at Kazuma. I understood completely why Kaede's parents tried getting rid of him in the first place.

"So, are you ready to hear my proposition?" Kazuma asked her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"What's my move?" Kaede asked. Rin gasped. I was speechless. Lin wanted to see what else they had to say, but Rin couldn't watch anymore. What Kaede said was too devastating. She was working with them again, and we all wanted to know why. The only thing I didn't understand was why she would follow them after what they did to her.

"Ha! That's my girl," Kazuma said. I gave him a mean look. Kaede wasn't 'his girl,' she was supposed to be mine. (And Haku's, of course, father-daughter wise). "So when you're parents arrive, which should be any minute, you…" Kaede took the liberty of answering that.

"I pretend to love them and tell them I'm sorry, then you'll take me away and when Chihiro goes crazy, the spell will work." He smiled, as did Kaede. There was something wrong. Kaede was good, not evil. There was no way she would willingly help them, even after what they did to her the first time. Lin ended the holographic image and I stood there, thunderstruck. We had to find her more than anything now. But where we were to look, I hadn't a clue where to start.

"Well, what do we do now?" I asked them. Rin shrugged shoulders. She was angry at everything. Rin was a complicated girl. It was best to stay away from her when she was frustrated or depressed. Kaede was the only one who would be able to control her, and without her, Rin was a mess at the moment.

"Well," Lin said, trying to keep the positivity going, "I know one other person who can help us. And I'm sure this person would be extremely content to see my face again." I gave her a bewildered look, knowing that what she said was probably the opposite. She said the person's name, and I froze. I knew that witch's name.

"Who's calling?" We heard on the other end. I turned around and saw it: the biggest nose on anyone's face, the jewels. And the most grotesque pimple in the middle of her forehead. Lin smiled and waved. "It's good to see you, Yubaba." She returned the smiled.

"Likewise, Emi," Yubaba said, using her real name, "What is it you want? I see you brought the kids from the bathhouse." She pointed to Rin and me. "So, you've heard about Chihiro now, haven't you?" Lin nodded in response.

"We want to help. I used my communications ring to find Kaede, and I think…well…um...take us to wherever you are and we'll talk there." Yubaba nodded. Using her magic, she literally pulled us through the holographic image and we were in the room she was. It was a simple kitchen, tea running on the stove and a long table in the center. Yubaba was sitting in a rocking chair in the corner…no, she was making the tea at the stove. I looked back and forth, noticing there was not only one Yubaba.

"There are two of you!?" I shouted. Yubaba and obviously her twin sister looked at me, then each other. In unison, they laughed their crazy laugh. I felt foolish for not knowing the witch Yubaba had a twin sister.

"Of course!" Yubaba said, "I just used to hate her for the longest time!" They began laughing again. I felt humiliated. Thankfully, Lin stepped in. But it wasn't for the reasons I was hoping.

"No-Face!" She shouted, running towards the little black spirit in the corner. He had been sitting there, watching us the entire time. He seemed nice, and if Lin and he were friends, then he wasn't bad.

"Uh, uh." He replied. I could not understand him, but Lin seemed to have known what he was trying to say. "I missed you, too." She replied.

"Could you please just do what you came to do?" Yubaba asked. Lin left No-Face's side and continued to what she was starting. "We need to find Kaede and Chihiro and Haku." She said, getting straight to the point. Yubaba was the one sitting in the rocking chair and her twin was making tea. I made sure to understand the difference easily.

"First, tell us what you saw," Yubaba demanded. Lin placed her hands on her hips in an irritated way. "No!" Was Lin's response, "You're a con-artist! Once I tell you what I know, you won't tell me what you know."

"Truth is, deary," Zeniba said, "We don't know ourselves." Yubaba stood up and was furious at her sister for saying the thing she did. "Don't say that! I want to know what she's talking about!" Zeniba and Yubaba were fighting, and Lin placed a hand on her forehead like it had happened a hundred times before. "Well, we can't lie to them! And besides, Emi is a good girl; she'll tell us."

"A good girl?" Yubaba shouted, "She was one of the worst employees I had, slacking around at work and yelling at the customers when the job got 'too hard.'"

"I was a great employee! I taught Sen-I mean, Chihiro-everything she knows! Which makes me a consummate employee." Yubaba curled her hands into fists and Lin just smiled, knowing she had won the argument.

"Oh, stop this nonsense!" Zeniba shouted. She pulled Lin and Yubaba away from each other and motioned for everyone to gather around the table. Once we were all seated, she began to explain. "Chihiro and Haku were just here, as well as my daughter, Yuki, and her husband, Kage." Lin showed signs of remembrance of the two. "They went to find Osamu and Kawazoe. They said Osamu captured her and was bringing her back to them."

"And then what? Did they find Kaede?" I frantically asked. I was scared for her. I didn't want anything to hurt Kaede. If I did, I wouldn't forgive myself for not being there. Zeniba chuckled slightly and I was confused as to why.

"Oh, that's sweet. Young love it the sweetest kind there is." I blushed out of embarrassment. How could she have none? Was it that obvious? She laughed at my embarrassment over my feelings for Kaede. "I've known about you two since the day you both were born. You two were meant to be together."

"Really?" I asked. She nodded, and I smiled. If Zeniba was just as powerful as her twin sister, she must have known about everything in the Spirit World. She was the most powerful witch in the land. I believed her.

"Now that we got the whole lovey dovey stuff out of the way," Lin started, "how about telling us where Chihiro and Haku are now? I bet that jackass just can't wait to see my face again." She said like he wouldn't be thrilled at all.

"Now, Emi, we have to give them time. They said they would be back, and I trust Chihiro," Zeniba said. Obviously Lin wasn't good at patience. And a good thing, too.

"Well, while you two sit down and wait, I'm taking matters into my own hands." Lin placed the ring on her finger as she did before, pointed the dial towards a wall and shouted Mrs. Nushi's full name. Instantly, the holographic figure of Kaede's mother was on the wall. Lin made it so no one could hear what they were saying.

"Oh no," Lin whispered. And she was right. We were too late.

**Chihiro's POV**

"You son of bitch, Osamu!" I shouted. I trusted him. We all trusted him. But he was special to me. He took care of Kaede at times when I could not. And now, he was betraying our whole family. We had been traveling in magic chains, the same ones Osamu was pretending to use against Kawazoe. But he was working for them. The whole time, he was planning for the moment when he would capture us.

"Oh, would you please just shut up!" Kawazoe shouted. Haku was calmer than me. Normally, he would have gone insane, but without the control slug, he had become a more coherent person. "I can see where Kaede gets it from," Kaede. I knew it. They had my daughter.

"Where's my daughter? You took her! You really are Dark Spirits, take me to her now!" Kawazoe laughed as Osamu led the four us to an abandoned shed. It was boarded up and was too small for the six of us to fit it altogether. Kawazoe placed a hand on the door and pushed it opened, motioning for Osamu to push us in. He undid the chains around us. It was a perfect time to run, however, the feeling that Kaede was still in their grasp was eating at me. There was nowhere for us to go. As I walked (more like pushed) through to the inside, I noticed the shed was not like any other I had seen before. Most of them didn't have a hole in the ground that led a hundred feet down.

"Ahhh!" I shrieking, falling to my doom. Someone shouted my name above, but I could barely hear them over the screaming of my own voice. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. Haku. He jumped down to rescue. We were still falling. It seemed like the hole would go on forever. It was an endless pit to our doom.

"Chihiro! Kohaku!" Kage and Yuki were right behind us, holding on to one another. There was no turning back for any of us. Our mission was to find Kaede. I was more determined than ever to find her, and I had a feeling we were going to find her at the end of the fall.

"Look out!" I shouted. I closed my eyes, hoping, wishing I wasn't dead. Luckily for us, spirits did not die. At least, not in the Spirit World. I had a long bruise along my left arm and rib, for that was where I landed. On Haku.

"Haku! Haku, wake up!" I began shaking him, trying to wake him up. He gradually began to open his eyes, fixating them on me. His right side was completely bruised; scars would form on his face, being there for the rest of eternity. He placed a hand on my cheek, smiling. "Are you okay?" He whispered. I nodded, returning the smile.

"It's you I'm worried about. You put yourself in front of me to break my fall. If you were a human, there was no chance you would have survived!" I was glad my Haku was alive and well, but the idea of him being a human in that situation frightened me. It wondered what would have happened if I were still human when it happened, if I had been the one to break _his _fall.

"Mom? Dad?" I clearly heard my daughter's voice, calling out to us. I turned away from Haku, and our eyes met. She was tied to a pole by her hands and dirt covered her face. Her eyes, however, showed compassion and sorrow.

"Kaede…" I whispered softly. I was overwhelmed by the need to embrace my eldest child. I ran up to her and hugged her. After all that had happened, it was good to know she finally cared. "We have been looking everywhere for you!"

"How did you find me?" She asked. I felt the need to cry over my daughter, after finally being able to see her again. The last time we talked Kaede was angry at me when I was trying to understand why she couldn't watch her brother and sister. Mai and Haru were too young to stay in the bathhouse without supervision. I wasn't about to ask Kamajii for another favor; I bothered him to care for the children since Kaede was born. It was Kaede who should have taken up the responsibility to watch over her siblings. But I wasn't worried about what she should have done then. I didn't care that she disobeyed me. I only cared that she was safe with us.

"Well, isn't this a nice little reunion," I turned around to see him. Cold, red eyes stared back at me. He was no friend of mine, and never was. The sight of him made the devil himself hide from his shadow. Haku jumped up and walked to us, making sure we would not be harmed by him.

"Kazuma," I whisper. He grinned and stepped forward, inching closer and closer to us. I placed my arm across my daughter, showing how protective I was of her. Haku did the same, and we were bound together, as a family.

"Am I not worthy of a courteous reunion?" Kazuma said, continuing to make his way towards us, "After sixteen years apart I would have thought we had gotten passed everything."

"Not after what you did to me," I said, keeping my arm wrapped around my daughter, "You should have died, along with Kawazoe. The two of you should have perished a long time ago." Haku and I stood our ground. However, Kazuma had other plans for us.

"Well, since you'll be staying, why don't you join your daughter?" And with a simple wave of his hand, Haku and I were thrust against the pole, tied by our hands to it. "Let's not stop there, how about you two, Kage and Yuki?" Kazuma used his magic to pull Kage and Yuki towards a pole and they were trapped. There was no escape for any of us.

"That's better," Kazuma said with a smile, "Now I know you won't leave under any circumstances." I watched him carefully as he made his way back to his desk. The test tubes and vials on the desk sent shivers up my spine. I was worried about what he would do to us, to Kaede. She had been in his control for hours. She may have told him more than she thought she did.

"Kaede, what happened?" Haku asked her. Kaede looked at us with grief-stricken eyes. We were unaware of her association with Kazuma, whom she didn't know was the Dark Spirit in the story we had told her and her siblings a few days before.

"I…I was so angry the day after my magic was taken away," Kaede began, "I was angry at the both you for giving me such a stupid punishment. I just wanted to have a life, you know?" Her anger was coming back to her, and Haku had to calm her down. "Then, Kazuma came, pretending he was some high and mighty spirit that-"

"For the record, I am a very powerful spirit," Kazuma gloated. We paid no attention to his comment. All I wanted to know was Kaede's reasons for her wrong-doing.

"Anyway," Kaede continued, "Kazuma, whom I thought was Kazue, told me he could…change your thoughts, that he could give me the life I wanted. I need a few things from you, though."

"You went into our room!" I shouted. It was enough that she didn't want anything to do with her parents; it was normal for a teenager to want her parents to be invisible at times, but her stealing from us was no exception.

"Chihiro, maybe we should hear her out first," Yuki said. I sighed, knowing she was right. Having a troublesome daughter was one thing, but having a thieving daughter was another.

"Thank you, Aunt Yuki," Kaede said, "As I was saying, I didn't take possessions. The first thing was a piece of hair, and then next was teardrop. The last one I wasn't able to obtain. It was…I needed blood." I was taken back. At least she didn't go that far, I thought.

"Wait," Haku said, confusion in his tone, "Chihiro, doesn't this all add up to you?" I shook my head, not realizing what he was trying to get at. "The day we went to Swamp Bottom, you were almost hit by the train, remember?" I nodded, remembering that moment where my life flashed before my eyes. I knew spirits rarely ever departed this life, but it was a human instinct to reflect on your life before you passed on. "And later on in the day when your hair was cut off?" I still didn't understand Haku, but apparently Kazuma did.

"Bravo, Kohaku," Kazuma said from behind his desk as he mixed more potions together, making me even further tense. "You've figured it out." We all turned to Kazuma, who was smiling with pride. There was no reason to, if Haku had found out his plan. "I was hoping Kawazoe would be able to follow orders, but being a criminal said to have perished, she was unable to complete her mission. The only thing she obtained was a single drop of blood from the blow you took from the train. The rest was up to Kaede." I looked at Kaede, who just turned away when she noticed my anger.

"Okay, well, I guess it's time to start." He snapped his fingers, and since Kawazoe and Osamu were technically his servants and he was the master, they took Yuki and Kage away into the next room.

"Yuki! Kage!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I was not about to lose them as well. I had already lost Kaede twice, and I was not about to let that happen again.

"Chihiro, we'll be fine! Just keep Kaede safe! She's the only one that can save us all!" I didn't understand what Yuki meant by Kaede being the only one who could save us. They were forcefully sent to another room, and the door was slammed shut. Next, it was us. Or at least one of us.

"Okay, now the girl." Kawazoe and Osamu walked towards Kaede, intending to take her away from me again.

"No! Not my daughter!" I shouted. I tried blocking them, but the chains restrained Haku and me from using magic. They untied Kaede's chains and walked her to the room next to Yuki and Kage's.

"Mom! Dad!" She shouted. Kaede tried to fight against them, but they were too powerful. I couldn't escape the chains, as well as Haku. We were separated once more. And there was nothing I could do but scream and pray that my daughter would be safe.

**Kaede's POV**

"Mom! Dad!" I shouted. I was being sent to another room by Osamu and Kawazoe. Kazuma had told me the drill, and I was only following orders. I could hear Chihiro's screams from the other room, and I knew the plan was working. She was going to trigger the potion.

After the door was shut, I stopped the complaining. Osamu and Kawazoe undid the chains and I was set free.

"So, you're really with us now?" Osamu questioned. I began searching for the last item they needed. "If I wasn't, would I be giving you this?" And in my hand was the most powerful thing my mother owned: the silky, purple hair band.

**Kaede is whaaa...? Yes, she's back to her evil ways. But, there is a reason. It'll come up next chapter, and you'll all understand why. And what does the hair band have to do with this you may ask? Let's just say they need something powerful to...get the potion going. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up in a week or two. And BTW, I wanted to mention my fictionpress account. I have one story with two chapter so far, but I'll be sure to get more out. Just letting you know! And the account name is the same. Thanks! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	23. Chapter 23: No Limits

**Helloooooo! Happy Halloween, everyone! Well, this Halloween sucks because I can't go trick-or-treating. Who cares if I'm in high school; But, I got stuff to do tonight :( like for one, posting this next chapter! I got to say, you all are in for a treat at the end. (get it? treat, trick-or-treat, I'm funny). I really don't want to say this, though, but read the little author's note after this. Got some bad news for you guys. :( But enough saddness, let us get to the chapter! Also, we will see a couple characters we haven't seen in quite some time :)**

**Chapter 23: No Limits**

**Ryo's POV**

"We've got to find them!" I shouted. Having Kaede captured was enough, now her parents were, too? And her aunt and uncle were there as well. Haku and Kage were two of the most powerful river spirits the Spirit World has ever known. They would have been the ones to save the worlds.

"What do you think I'm trying to do, kid?" Yubaba, I had heard, was a very cranky witch. She had to be right about everything and no one, not even her sister, could be above her. However, Kaede's mother did tell us stories of how she saved her from Kawazoe and Kazuma. All in all, she wasn't an evil witch, just an arrogant one. And I knew she would do everything in her power to bring them back to us.

"Yubaba, just hurry. We have to get to them before anything bad happens." Lin was comforting. She could handle Yubaba far better than either Rin or me. "I'm trying!" Yubaba shrieked, "You try finding a portal that leads to wherever the hell they are!"

"C'mon, Yubaba," Zeniba stepped in, "Is it really that hard? I'll help." Yubaba nodded, walking up to her sister. They put both hands in the air, close enough to the other without touching. They closed their eyes and chanted a spell, one I had never heard before. A glowing light flashed in-between their hands and grew larger. In an instant, the glowing light turned into a circular portal. It was as bright as the sun, blinding our eyes as we saw Yubaba and Zeniba head for it. "You want us to go in there?" Rin shouted. She was not a fan of surprises, and we were oblivious as to where we were going. It didn't seem safe to go through the portal. There was no telling where it would lead us.

"Why of course! Don't you want to see Kaede again? Or would you rather stay here and wait for things to go your way?" Zeniba had a very compelling case. We came to her cottage hoping to find answers, and now we had to act on them. It was up to us to save them. But how it was going to work, I didn't know. Sighing, I looked at Rin. She knew we had to go through. That or not do anything at all. She nodded, and the two witches walked through. Lin went next, and I grabbed a hold of Rin's hand. We walked through together, not knowing what we getting into.

**Chihiro's POV**

They took her. They took Kaede away from me, again. I felt as though the worlds were out of balance. The room started to spin and shake, and it wasn't my imagination. What I saw was literally happening. There was no mistaking what was going on. "Um, Chihiro…" Yuki saw it, too. We were losing control of the worlds.

"Haku…the worlds…" Kage and Haku had more knowledge about both the Spirit and Human Worlds better than me or Yuki. They had gone through more battles that involved the fate of each, but I doubted they were battling for both at the exact same time. The room staopped its shaking and subsided for the time being. "What did you do, Kazuma?" Haku shouted. He just turned to us and laughed his maniacal laugh. I was convinced the power he wielded was making him insane.

"Oh, deary, even you should know the end of the worlds when you see it." Kazuma replied. Haku's emotions were running wild again. He tried to transform, but the chains refused him from changing. "How are you doing this?" I asked, "How can you do this to both worlds at once? It's…It's…"

"Impossible?" Kazuma said, finishing my sentence, "How many times have you said that one thing or another was impossible?" He walked right up to me. The room starting its shaking and spinning again, but the shaking of the underground had no effect on him. "Listen to me this once, deary, nothing is impossible. At least, not in the Spirit World it isn't." His laugh was disgusting to me. Kazuma was a menace to us all, and everyone else was caught in the trouble we caused.

**The Human World**

In the small blue house at the end of the street, the elderly couple living inside were getting ready to start the evening with the dinner the wife worked all afternoon to make for her husband. He had just come home from work after a rough day. He knew retirement was coming upon him, and fast.

"Yuuko, I think it's time for this old chap to retire," he said as he sat down at the dining table. His wife, Yuuko, brought their meal to the table and filling his cup with an herbal tea. It was his favorite drink when he was stressed out, like after a hard day at work.

"Akio, I've been telling you that for years, now," Yuuko replied, joining him at the table. Akio placed his hands on his aging face. Unlike his daughter, Chihiro, he was aging fast. His hair had turned gray a few weeks after Chihiro had left them to have a new life in the Spirit World, a land they believed to have never existed. But that was something he and Yuuko were forbidden to mention. Mentioning their daughter and how they faked her death was a risk they were not willing to take. They said those things to draw off attention to what had really happened to her. She was happy and safe in the Spirit World, they thought. Happy, yes, but safe was not a word Chihiro would apply in her situation. But they didn't know that.

"I know, but now I'm beginning to see your reasoning. I just…my boss is so hard to deal with, and it's hard to take him seriously when he's twenty-five years younger than I am." Akio was frustrated with the way his boss ran the company. Akio was supposed to be the right hand man, but after his previous boss died in a tragic accident, his son took the job. And now, work was harder than ever for Akio.

"Then retire," Yuuko said, "I'd hate to see you waste your days in that office building. There's more to life than that stupid company. You've worked for the family for over thirty years, now."

"But what if-" Akio couldn't finish his sentence. The cup of tea was vibrating, softly. It then started to shake and it fell to the ground. The lights above were shaking and moving around and the whole city was in chaos. It quickly turned into one of the worst earthquakes Japan had ever seen. The table and everything sitting on it collapsed. Akio and Yuuko linked hands and ran down to the basement. They had one built after the first earthquake when their house was almost destroyed.

"This is unlike any earthquake I've ever seen before!" Yuuko shouted. She hugged her husband and he held her in his arms. However, Akio had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't the fact that he hadn't had a morsel to eat since lunch, but that there was something wrong, somewhere other than their small town. Somewhere like the Spirit World.

"Yuuko!" Akio shouted. He ran up the stairs and his wife followed, confused as to why he would leave the safe haven of their basement. It was to protect them from the earthquake, and he was in the open. "Akio, you're crazy! We have to go back!" He opened the door to the little blue house and ran into the street. Car horns sounded everywhere and houses were shaking. No one was outside except them. The sirens were ringing louder than the horns and the whole town was chaos.

"You're right," he replied, pointing to the forest behind their house, "We have to back. Back to the Spirit World to help our little Chihiro."

**Chihiro's POV**

Impossible. Nothing. How could it be? All my life my parents had told me everything was possible, but I never believed it. Not until I met Haku. Not until I realized the Spirit World truly did exist, until I saw everything I was now living. That was when I discovered the things that were possible, and the things that were truly and completely impossible. And Kazuma was breaking that rule. If one was to cause chaos to the worlds, it would be one. There was no way in anyone's magic that could cause both worlds to fall apart completely. The greatest problem I had was my parents. I was worried for their safety. They had no idea what was going on in their world, and I was the cause of it. I caused all their pain. They have done so much for me since I was born, and all I did was hurt them. I caused them so much trouble, and I had to fix it.

No matter what the stakes were.

"Kazuma, you will fall, just like you did before!" I shouted. He showed his childish side by mimicking my words and making hand gestures. He turned back to his potions and studied them carefully. He picked up two bottles, one filled with a red dye and the other with a blue dye, and poured them into another in unison. They mixed and glowed in a violet pigment, making me uneasy. I had no notion of what Kazuma was planning to do with that potion, but I knew it wasn't good.

Kazuma looked to the many doors that surrounded the small underground bunker we were trapped in. his finger counted the doors, and he picked one to enter, leaving us alone. It was our only chance. I began twisting my wrists and trying to squirm out of the chains. Haku moved closer and helped me by pulling on the chains. We made sure to be silent, so as not to bring back Kazuma or the others.

"Got it?" Haku asked. He was pulling the chains as far back as he could, and I wriggled my wrists trying to break free. Once the wrists were free, everything else went smoothly. I was free from the chains at last. "Yeah, thank you." I kissed him on the cheek and moved to his chains. I couldn't use magic, and my magic was very limited. The job had to be done by force. I grabbed a hold of the chains and pulled them as far away from the pole as possible. Haku did his best to break free, but it was done. We were caught. Our escape was cut short by the thorn in my side. Kazuma.

"Oh, Chihiro," he said. Kazuma wasted no time in putting me back. With a wave of his hand, I was thrust against the wall, unable to move a muscle in my body. He was inching towards me, step by step. It didn't matter how hard I tried to back free; I was caught. "Did you honestly think I didn't suspect this? Those chains may work when magic is involved, but did you really think I forgot about your human senses? You already know how to survive without magic. You've lived that way for nineteen years of your life. And now, I think it's time for you to reminiscence that feeling." He took the potion he made minutes prior and forced it down my throat. I couldn't control myself. If I didn't swallow it, I would have choked. Choking and not dying was worse than choking and having the pain subside by death.

"No!" Haku shouted. The chains bounded him to the pole and he could only stand there and watch as the potion took its toll on me. Kazuma let go off his spell on me and I collapsed to the floor. "Chihiro! Get up!" I sat up on my knees, my hands on the ground floor. My hands felt weaker. It was hard for me to sit up the way I was. And my hair was not a solid chocolate brown anymore. The roots of my hairs were a light-gray color. I remembered how stressed my mother would get when her hair turned gray. She would go straight to the salon and dye it to avoid herself from believing she was getting old.

But I was a spirit. There was no reason for me to have gray hair. I couldn't age, I was immortal now. "What did you do to her?" I heard Kage ask. "Kazuma, you monster!" Yuki shrieked. I stood up, staring at my hands, and back to my hair. My hands seemed fine, but the gray hair was what caught me off guard. Like everything I had been saying, it was impossible.

"Looks like human side of you just couldn't say good-bye," Kazuma said. I stared into Haku's baffled eyes. I was human again.

**NO! Chihiro's magic is gone! She's no longer a spirit! C'mon, who saw that? I'm a bad person, bringing this in. But, the story needed some spicing up. I thought it would flow along with the outcome of the story. One person may change her ways because of this incident. Now, to the bad news I was talking about earlier. I won't be able to update my stories for about a month. (That also includes my Kiki's Delivery Service) I'm working on an original story and I want to get the basics down before I do anything else. I'm hoping to get a least half of the story done by middle or end of November, and then I PROMISE to come back to this and the other story! Please, just stay strong with me for a month and I'll be back as soon as the story is halfway done. Thanks for all the reviews I got, especially from Vampireninja101 and Genie2130 and to everyone who reads! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	24. Chapter 24: Two Worlds, One Attack

**Hey everyone...long time no see, eh? I know I put this off wayyyyy longer than I said I would, but if any of you looked at my profile you would have seen that at the bottom I said I would be updating less frequently. I'm really focusing on my Kiki's fanfic, but this will be completed soon enough! We are at the heat of the battle for good and evil, and Kaede's got some problems to deal with, like how to break free from Kazuma's control. Or maybe she doesn't want to...? No more spoilers, no more talking, just reading! :)**

**Chapter 24: Two Worlds, One Attack**

**Chihiro's POV**

It was true; Kazuma had somehow returned me to my original self. But how? Was there a reverse spell? It was the spirit that guarded the gates of heaven that gave me the chance to be immortal. Only he had the power to take away this gift. However, lately, I had been seeing things that were truly and completely impossible. The Spirit World was showing me things my eyes doubted.

But this? This had to have been some sort of ancient dark magic. To transform a spirit into a human, whether they were human before or not, was never seen before. Yubaba and Zeniba would have warned me if they believed it to be factual. There was only one other person who would have known this was possible, and he would have known it would happen.

Erikku.

"You're probably more comfortable down there," Kazuma said to me, "So I'll get your daughter myself." He walked towards the door where they were holding my daughter hostage and entered. I gradually stood up, moving closer to Haku. He couldn't link his arms with mine, but I wrapped mine around him. In human years, I would only be thirty-five years old. I was feeling weaker than my parents most likely did, and they were almost thirty years older than me.

"Chihiro," Haku whispered. He was speechless, as was I. Even he knew there were limits to a spirit's magic, and this defied everything he and I both knew. But we had more pressing issues on our hands, because now we had to deal with Kazuma's next move. Kazuma came out, his arms linked with my daughter's. She looked so scared, so helpless. And I couldn't do a thing about it.

"Kawazoe, take her." He shoved her into Kawazoe, who reluctantly took Kaede's arms and dragged her to the desk. She sat her down and tied her wrists to the arms of the chair. "These are magic chains, much like the ones holding your husband and friends." Kazuma walked towards her, looking at her lifeless body. She was too weak to protect herself, and Haku hadn't taught her that much on dark magic and how to defeat it. We were only faced with it that one time, and we hoped none of our children would ever have to face anyone like Kazuma and Kawazoe. He grabbed a bottle from the table, different from the one he was working on prior. That one was what caused me to become a human again. I was clueless as to what this other one would do. He removed the cork and walked behind Kaede, pulling her head up high. He opened her mouth, threatening to pour it down.

"If she drinks this, she will become like you, Chihiro, only worse. Her body is not known to mortal life, so it will start to turn on her, it won't accept her human form." He was frightening me. I had never seen black magic as evil and wicked as this before. It was madness. "She'll die within days."

"You take your hands off of my daughter or I swear-"

"You'll what? Use your magic to destroy me again? You're just as vulnerable as she is!" Kaede was starting to wake up, but she was still in no condition to fight them off. "There is, however, an arrangement I think we both can agree on."

"What do you want? The bathhouse? Our money?" I asked. Most spirits wanted riches or power. "It means nothing to me. All I care about is that my daughter is safe away from you!"

Kazuma began to laugh in my face. "I don't need your money!" He wanted something more than riches. He wanted to destroy my family. "In exchange for me _not_ killing your daughter, you will drink this potion down to the last drop yourself." He was playing a very risky game. Whatever was in the potion would kill me, especially now that I was human. I was vulnerable again, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. I could decline, but then Kaede would suffer for the fate I caused her. I had to do what would save Kaede.

"Deal," I replied. He began clapping his hands together like a madman. I held Haku close to me and wept. I was sacrificing myself for love again. Only this time there was no way out.

"Chihiro, we can still win," Haku encouraged me, "we can still defeat them." I pressed my lips against his, knowing in my heart it would be the last.

"No, there isn't. Not unless Erikku has some plan up his sleeve, it's over." Tears began forming in his eyes. I couldn't stand looking at him that way, so I walked over to Kazuma. He held the bottle for me and I took it from his grip. I held it up to my mouth, ready for the end.

"Wait!" he said, "I think we should have a bigger audience for this…momentous occasion." He had Osamu enter to watch my downfall…and he was waking Kaede.

"Wha…what's going on?" She whispered. She saw herself tied to the chair and saw each and every one of us. She tried to break free, but her magic was too weak for her at the moment. She gave Kazuma a horrifying look.

"I thought we had a deal!" She shouted, "Why do you chain me up like Chihiro? I thought I was on your side!" Kawazoe tried shutting her up, but the words had already come out. My daughter was working for them; it was her plan to get rid of me all along.

"Kaede…" I whispered. I was in disbelief that my own flesh and blood would turn on me the way she did.

"I even gave you her hair band to show you my loyalty!" I hadn't noticed Osamu holding my most treasured gift from the Spirit World in his hands. They were going to use that to destroy the worlds.

"That's your plan," I said, "You're going to use the hair band to call the Dark Spirits. And since it's connected to both the Human _and_ Spirit World, you can do twice as much damage." Kazuma only clapped at my previous ignorance to his plan.

"Very good, Chihiro," he said, "I thought you would have understood it by now. You're not as bright as you were before. Is it the aging process that's slowing you down?"

"Let her go, Kazuma!" Haku shouted, "We can defeat you now, there's nothing you can do to save yourself!"

"Oh, but on the contrary, Kohaku," Kazuma said. His smile was as evil as can be. "You all are tied up with chains, Chihiro is human again, and I still have the hair band _and_ your daughter!" He held all the cards. There wasn't anything we could do to stop him. "Alright, Chihiro, let's get a move on. We don't want to keep your guests waiting."

I stared at the bottle in my hands. It would drain the life out of me faster than I could say "Haku, I love you." And then I started thinking about Erikku. He reminded me of something before we embarked on this journey. He gave me answers that he said would help me find Kaede. _"But we already found her," _I thought to myself, _"What did you mean, Erikku?"_

"_Look at her," _a voice whispered, _"Does she look like your daughter right now?"_ I looked more intently at my daughter. Her eyes were full of hatred, her temper growing with each passing moment. I began thinking about what Kazuma was telling me earlier, reminding me of the qualities I loved about Kaede.

"Your favorite color is blue," I whispered, "Yes, your favorite color is because you're so drawn to water!" Kaede stared at me in confusion.

"How do you know that?" She asked. It was working. I saw her starting to come back. She was turning from them. She was fighting with herself.

"Your favorite food is Mizo Soup, just like me! I understand why you don't want to work at the bathhouse now. You're just like your Aunt Emi; she wanted to leave and explore the world, too!"

"Stop this!" Kazuma shouted, "What are you trying to do?"

"You spend all your time with Kamajii because I never had the time to be with you! And now I realize how wrong I was. Please Kaede, please come back to me!"

"No! What is this! I can't control myself!" Kaede was screaming and trying to escape the chains because of all the strain I put on her. Without it, however, she would continue to be under their control.

"Kaede, please listen to me! We can help you! Listen to your heart! I know you still love me. If you didn't, you wouldn't have your powers back." The room was chaos. Not only from Kaede's screaming, but also from Kazuma's magic. He was using the hair band to call the Dark Spirits.

"Dark Spirits of the past, I raise you from this hell you've been living! Go; take over the Spirit _and_ the Human World!" The ground rumbled to the sound of the Dark Spirits leaving the underground. They were ready to attack.

"Kaede, hurry! You have to fight this spell you're under!" I was not giving up on my daughter. She was going to come back to me. Kaede was struggling with herself so much she broke through the magic chains on her own. Kawazoe and Osamu stood back in shock. She threw her hands to her forehead and ran around the room screaming. It was a disaster. I was causing my daughter to challenge herself.

"Kaede, now!" Haku shouted. She ran towards him and lightning came out from her hands. Haku ducked and the lightning hit the chains. He was free. Kaede did the same to Yuki and Kage as well. She slowed down, tired and weak. She collapsed to the ground.

"Kaede," I said, running to her unconscious body, "Kaede, can you hear me?" She started waking up and looked into my eyes.

"Mom, how did you know those things about me?" She asked. I smiled in relief. She was back.

"Because I'm your mother," I said, "even though it looks like I'm not paying attention, I really am." I didn't need Erikku to tell me the things about my daughter. I knew everything he told me, I just needed time to sit down and think. The minute he answered the questions, everything was clear to me.

"No, no!" Kazuma shouted. His plan was failing. Kaede had fought her way back to us. The only thing he had was the control of both worlds. The Dark Spirits were still coming, I could feel them. Some had entered the Human World, and all I could think about was my parents and how much I wished they had stayed with me.

**The Human World**

Spirits were surrounding the humans, scaring them half to death. Most believed spirits were fictional creatures, and seeing one for real was a completely foreign sensation. The humans hid in their homes and locked the doors, keeping them and their children out of the evil spirits' reach. Yuuko and Akio, however, were not in the Human World anymore. With all the chaos that had been going on, the doorway to the Spirit World was opened up for the Dark Spirits to enter the Human World. Kazuma hadn't thought humans would come into the Spirit World, though.

"Akio, this is crazy!" The ground was shaking and nothing was standing still. The earth was in a massive earthquake and buildings were collapsing; even the entrance to the Spirit World was falling. Akio and Yuuko ran straight through, missing the falling pieces of the roof. As they made it to the other side, to their dismay, they saw the same thing happening to the Spirit World.

"What the hell is going on?" Akio asked. It was stronger than either had seen before. What could be so powerful to take down both worlds in one attack?

"Akio, there's the bathhouse!" Yuuko shouted, pointing to their left. The building was strong enough to stay standing, but for how long? They wasted no time in getting there. Even in Akio's age and weight, he still pressed on to the safety of the bathhouse. He never let go of his wife's hand. They were going to stay together until the end.

It wasn't too far; they were at the beginning of the bridge. They saw spirits running in and some leading other to the bathhouse. They didn't even perceive that there were humans.

"Excuse me, sir," Akio said plainly to a frog spirit. He was not shocked after seeing many in their last journey. "What is going on? Why are the worlds in chaos?"

"The Human World, too?" He asked, "This is worse than I thought. Follow me; I'll take you to the bathhouse." All three ran towards the bathhouse for shelter. Many spirits were huddled together. Akio and Yuuko looked around for their daughter or son-in-law, but neither were in sight. They then searched for Kaede, their granddaughter whom they had only just met a week earlier.

"Where are they?" Yuuko asked. Beyond the shaking of the earth, screams came from one of the higher rooms. Akio and Yuuko heard and wondered who could possibly be upstairs during a time like this. Yuuko, being the gentle person she is, knew she had to do something to help.

"We have to save them!" Yuuko shouted.

"We have to save ourselves, Yuuko!" Akio wasn't going to let her out of his sight, but she knew there was someone in trouble, someone who couldn't get out from where they were. She ran to the closest set of stairs and skipped a step each time. Akio followed in disbelief. She was risking her life for someone with immortal life. It made no sense to him why she would do such a thing. Yuuko searched every room on the top floor for the person making those screams. She heard them again, and realized there were two distinctive screams. The door across from her was where they were at. She tried opening the door, but found it locked.

Akio, it's locked!" She shouted. He backed up, knowing what he had to do. He hit the door with his side, but it didn't budge. He hit it again, and the hinges were breaking free. On the third try, the door fell to the ground. Yuuko searched the room and saw two young children holding each other in their arms.

"Who are you?" The girl asked them. Yuuko ran to them, only frightening the two youngsters even more.

"We're here to help you," She held out her hand, hoping they would trust her. The two shook their heads in reply, afraid of the two they had never seen before. "You have to trust us. This building is going to fall, and if we don't get out in time…" She saw the fear in their eyes, which stopped her from telling them what could happen. But they seemed to understand their current situation, for the girl grabbed hold of Yuuko's hand. She smiled at the trust the two had just given her.

"Yuuko!" Akio ran back into the room from the roof falling in the doorway. There was no way out for them. "We're trapped." The fear was brought back to the children's eyes, and Yuuko held them closely in her arms, along with Akio. They were not going to leave the children behind, whatever the cost was.

**Chihiro's POV**

"Kazuma, you should have given up when you had the chance." Haku said as he punched Kazuma, and Kage helped him continue the attacks. Kawazoe came to his defense, but Yuki stepped in and pulled her hair until she fell to the floor. Osamu stood where he was, helpless and without magic. It was equal between us. He jumped onto the desk and took out a knife. I dodged him as he jumped towards me, knifing the ground instead. He pulled it out and held it the wrong way. I kicked him, which pushed him into the wall. He went headfirst into the wall, holding the knife towards him. I could see the tip from his back. It was the end for Osamu. I never thought Osamu would betray me the way he did, and because of it he lost his immortality.

"Osamu!" Kawazoe shouted. Yuki held her arms to the ground and fought against her resistance. Haku and Kage were up against Kazuma. It seemed like an easy win, two on one, but Kazuma still had some tricks up his sleeve. He shot ice from his fingertips, freezing Kage to the closest wall. And he moved in for Haku.

"I will never give up," Kazuma said. Haku was right; he should have given up when he had the chance. Because after he said those words, our rescue team came, just in time. The lightning ball split open the top of the underground room, and we saw everyone who came to help. Zeniba and Yubaba used the lightning ball to save us. Both jumped down into the hole and regenerated their magic.

"Kazuma," Yubaba grunted, "We meet again."

"I've waited sixteen years to rid the Spirit World of the most powerful twin spirits alive. And now I've been given a second chance." Yubaba and Zeniba grew furious and sent lightning bolts his way. He dodged every one of them, moving closer and closer to them. I couldn't let him get to them. They were our only chance of defeating him. I noticed him forming some sort of magic, black magic. He was going to throw a black hole again. Only this time, he's had sixteen years to perfect it.

"NO!" I ran and knocked him out of their way. Instead, he threw the black hole at the wall, where Osamu's dead body lay. It sucked in Osamu and the knife that was used to kill him, and that was the last I ever saw of him.

"You little human!" Kazuma shouted, "You'll pay for that! For _everything_ you've done to me!" He came after me, ready to attack with everything he had. He forgot I had a weapon of his that was going to be used to destroy him. I still held the bottle in my hand tightly as he kept running. Once he was close enough, I dodged his attack by ducking under and faced his back. I held his arms together and tilted his head back, pouring down the potion that was to be used to kill me and Kaede.

After he finished swallowing, he became more infuriated. "Wha-what?" He shouted in fear, "This…this can't be happening! I must win!" He was starting to age faster than I did. His skin became wrinkled and his hair turned a gray-white color. He was much older than he appeared to be. If I had to guess, he was most likely over five hundred thousand years old. "You can't win, Chihiro! You can't! If you don't turn me back, I'll-"

"You'll what? Use your magic to destroy me again? You're just as vulnerable as Kawazoe!" She was still down because of Yuki. I hadn't realized more spirits joined in on the battle. Ryo and Rin were not fond of listening to their elders, for I saw them holding her back. And there was one other spirit there whom I couldn't quite place since her hair was blocking her face.

"Chihiro!" Kazuma was dying fast. His aging process was much faster than mine, being the age he was. However, he had time for one last move. He took his hand and aimed a lightning bolt directly at my heart.

"Kazuma, it's over." Kaede, surprisingly, stepped in front of me and blocked his attack with a shield. It backfired at Kazuma, and he was put out of his misery, as were we. He was gone, forever this time. I wanted him to die in pain, but him dying was good enough for me. There wasn't a black hole for him to use as a backup. His body disintegrated into dust right before my eyes. Kawazoe looked as though she were about to cry.

"No!" She shrieked. Her master was gone, as was her plan to defeat us. She was the only one left, the only one alive.

"Sorry to have come so late, sweetie," Zeniba said. I had to smile at her response. Her being there when we needed her most was just like her. "It was just so hard to find this place. If it weren't for these two youngsters, we may not have gotten here at all." I looked at Ryo and Rin, who were still holding down Kawazoe.

"I'll take care of this, kids," Haku said. He used his magic and lifted her to the poles and chained her arms like we were a few moments ago. She couldn't break free because of the magic that surrounded it. The shaking of the ground had subsided, but the spirits were still out there causing mayhem to both worlds.

"Good job, dragon boy," said the mysterious girl. I still hadn't seen her face, but Haku just did. And he was blown out of this world.

"Oh my God…" He said, completely and utterly baffled. I turned her shoulder and saw the smiling version of a different Emi.

"Lin?" I shouted, "I mean, Emi, right? Oh, who cares, it's you!" I wasted no time in giving her a big ass hug. I hadn't seen her since the day she left to explore the Spirit World.

"Whoa, easy there Sen!" She returned the hug and I wouldn't let go. Things were so different without her. I was just glad she came back.

"Okay, we all know Lin is back so can we get back to the bigger issue?" Yubaba said, irritated that we were getting way off topic. Of course we had to figure what our next move was, but I wanted to catch up with Lin, ask her how the Spirit World was.

"Alright, what are we to do about the Dark Spirits?" I asked them. Yubaba had a terrific idea for saving the worlds, one that I was now able to be a part of.

"Chihiro, I'm going to ask you this once more," she started, "did you find it?" I smiled at the question she had been asking me for the past sixteen years. I searched my pockets for what she was talking about. I should have showed it to her when we were at her house discussing our plan of attack. But sure enough, the water stone was there, and the mystery was over.

"Ah, so you found my secret drawer, then." I nodded in response. The drawer was filled with contracts from the past when she would steal spirit's names and keep them a slave of the bathhouse.

"Yes, along with the water stone," I replied, "How are we supposed to use this to rid the worlds of these spirits, though?"

"And how are we going to return Chihiro to her original self?" Haku added. I had almost forgotten of my inevitable transformation. I was still a human, and I didn't know how to change back.

"I hadn't even noticed…" Zeniba whispered. She walked closer and sniffed me, plugging up her nose after she had done so. "Yep, she's definitely a human again." Yubaba came up to me and took the water stone, examining each side.

"I may have a way for everyone to get what they want," She said. She placed the stone on the desk Kazuma used to make his potions. I looked back at Kawazoe. She looked terrible, dirt all over her face, blood covering parts of her arms and cheeks. She gave me a disgusted look, and I turned back to what Yubaba was doing. I noticed Rin, Ryo, and Kaede were off to the side, paying no attention to our future plans. Kaede looked at me, and I saw her smile. She hadn't smiled that way to me in the longest time, and I realized that because of this, things were turning out to be better than I thought they would.

**Wow! That took most of the afternoon to write! But now the fighting is over, or so we think. The Dark Spirits are still out there, and in both worlds. They're going to have to make plans pretty fast in order to save the worlds from anymore damage. And FINALLY Kaede made amends with her mother! PRAISE THE LORD! I know I've been writing this whole time, but her badass attitude was getting on my nerves. I just had to keep it going, made her more interesting. But this story has only a few more chapters to go, so I will try my best to write some more and continue this! Like I say, I'm not finished until I've reached the end! I would like to thank...**

**The Queen of Water - Thank you for waiting for Chapter 24. I know it was longer than I thought it would take, but I'm glad I have readers who are willing to wait! :)**

**Vampireninja101 - I think it was good I did that, too. I felt like the story was just going on without anything interesting in it. Thanks for reviewing and for sticking with this!**

**Mary - I'm glad you liked how I turned Chihiro back into a human! It does make the story better, don't you think? Haha but thank you for your review! :)**

**Angry Reader - I know, I completely put this off way too long. But, because of your review I decided to work nonstop until I finished this chapter! I do plan on finishing this, and your review helped me continue on! Thank you! :)**

**Anabelle ;)**


	25. Chapter 25: The Reiki, the Power, and

**Hello, readers! Man, did February just fly by or what? I guess that's normal for the shortest month of the year, eh? I'm not a much of a comedian, can you tell? And that's why I write dramatic stories :P Speaking of dramatic stories, I sort of gave you guys a pretty dramatic chapter! It's not as long as I hoped, but one of my longest chapters for this story :) The title pretty much says it all, but everything will be explained later. Enjoy... ;)**

**Chapter 25: The Reiki, the Power, and the Plan**

**Chihiro's POV**

We were all ready for the attack. We didn't know what our plan was, exactly, but we did know that we would do whatever it took to stop the Dark Spirits. Kaede, Rin, and Ryo left for the bathhouse. I told them we would handle things from here. For once, Kaede actually listened to me without resisting; she obeyed what I was asking her to do. I guess she realized how much I trust her now.

For the rest of us, however, things weren't going to well. Yubaba was the best schemer I had ever known, so she had to build the plan from start to finish. She knew the perfect weakness for everyone and how to use it against them. The Dark Spirits had only one weakness: light. And that was our advantage over them.

"This water stone is more powerful than you all think," Yubaba said to all of us.

"I know, I made it." Kage said. He was still frozen to the wall, unable to break free, thanks to Kazuma. Yuki was standing by his side trying to find some way to break the ice. Yubaba and Zeniba couldn't find a way to free Kage. Kazuma's magic was strong, but the ice attack was harder to melt than we thought.

"Shouldn't we free Kage first? He has more knowledge on the water stone than you do." Yuki said. She was brushing Kage's dark, raven-colored hair, hoping to free him from the iciness he was most likely feeling. However, Yubaba didn't completely agree with Yuki. In fact, she was absolutely against her when it came to who was more powerful.

"Kage isn't Erikku or your mother or even me! So no, he doesn't have more knowledge on the water stone than I do." Yubaba returned to studying the water stone, leaving an angry Yuki to tend to her frozen Kage.

"So what is your plan then, Yubaba?" Granny asked. Yubaba's eyes grew wide. She may have been one of the most powerful spirits in the land, but she was completely ignorant about how the water stone would be used against the Dark Spirits.

"Um…well…I was thinking…" She started. Yubaba stared at the stone for what seemed like ages, and then threw her hands on the desk in defeat.

"Alright, dragon boy, what do you propose we do?" She said shamefully. It was hard for Yubaba to accept defeat.

"Well," Haku said, unsure about why Yubaba picked him, "I really don't know what-"

"Not you, the other dragon boy!" Yubaba screeched. Kage lifted his head and smiled at Yubaba. "You want my help now?" She was about to burst. Her temper was not something to play with, and Kage was testing her.

"Just stop them, Kage!" Yubaba shouted, "You did once before, so do it again!"

"It's not that easy! I had help! Only a human can do it!" The entire room went silent. A human? That seemed almost pointless to have a human use magic. I didn't doubt he was telling us the truth, but I couldn't see how a human could fix the problem.

"A human?" I repeated, "How is a human going to help us?"

"You're talking like a spirit, my girl," a voice said, "I never thought you were turn on your own kind that way." He was always there when we needed him, and even if we didn't he was always there.

"Erikku, not now," I said, putting my hand to my forehead. All that had happened in the last week was terrifying and was moving too fast. I didn't need him telling me what to do or turning what I said into a proverb.

"You just said a human couldn't help us, but I know of one who would be perfect for this situation." He gave me a smile, nodding towards me. I shook my head in reply. It couldn't be. Not me.

"No." I said plainly. I sat on the ground cross-legged next to Haku's feet. If I hadn't, I might have fallen to the ground. Without my magic I was vulnerable. If I didn't become a spirit again soon, there was great chance I could have died.

"Chihiro, lives are at risk." Haku reminded me, leaning down to my height and placing a hand on my shoulder. Like I didn't have enough to deal with already. I had almost been killed countless times in the last week and now I have to save not only one world from destruction, but two.

"You think I don't know that?" I shouted, "I not only have to protect myself in my vulnerable state, but I also have to protect the lives of _everyone _else! Do you know what kind of pressure that puts on me?" There was a great chance that the Dark Spirits could kill me, that they were already planning on how to. Turning me into a human was Kazuma's way for ending me. Now that I didn't know how to reverse the spell, I'm stuck in this state, growing older as the minutes go by. "I can't do this by myself."

"You won't have to," Kage said to me, "We'll be there right beside you. All you have to do is hold half of the water stone and recite a spell that I will teach you."

"What do you mean half?" I replied. Everyone looked to Kage for the answer. Yubaba, Zeniba, and Erikku, however, were in their own little world. . The three most powerful spirits were sitting in a triangular form, meditating. Their eyes were closed, but their voices were clearly heard, humming a tune I had never heard of. It was like their souls departed from their bodies and entered a whole other realm. They were gone from where we were. "Before you answer that, where are Zeniba, Yubaba, and Erikku?"

"What do you mean, they're right-" Haku stopped in midsentence. They were all starting to notice it, too

**Erikku's POV**

"No." She said. Chihiro never understood the idea of destiny. She was a troublesome child growing up, always getting what she wanted. She never thought of how lucky she was to have such wonderful parents who showered her with love. She was destined to live in a family who could offer her so much. They moved to the town with the Spirit Gate because it was supposed to happen. Chihiro's father was supposed to get a new job, they were supposed to take a shortcut, and she was supposed to have a curious mind that led her to the place she would never leave again. I wasn't taking no for an answer, not after everything I did for her.

"Yubaba, Zeniba," I whispered as the others were arguing over what Chihiro would do. "Let's go." We wouldn't be gone long, just long enough to talk over things without hearing the pestering voices of those who could never understand what it were like to be us. We sat in a triangular form, cross-legged. Our hands ran down our legs and our fingers curled at the end. We shut our eyes and concentrated on the place we always retreated to in certain times. It had been so long since we went there together as family.

In the blink of an eye, we were sent to our safe haven, a cloud nine as some would call it. It named the Reiki. Only Zeniba, Yubaba, and I were allowed to enter the Reiki because of the power we held. It was only used in certain times of danger, and this moment was a very dangerous time.

"Thank goodness, I thought they would never shut up!" Zeniba said. She wasn't allowed to yell or show anger. She had to show emotions with as little hatred as possible. The Reiki was a peaceful and serene environment, so we could only talk in a contented way. We sat a few feet away from each other, resting on clouds that surrounded the perimeter. Nothing could come in, and we could only leave when one agrees on it. This is the first time in over five thousand years that we all have come as one.

"Yes, and we need our own plan if we are to defeat the Dark Spirits." Yubaba said, "Chihiro thinks she knows everything, but she doesn't."

"That's right," I said to her, "I have that power."

"Only because you're the oldest, you know," she smirked, "If Zeniba and I came first we would have had the opportunity to have such a rare power."

"But I have it, and you settled for the bathhouse, and Zeniba settled for the golden seal."

"Which I lost," Yubaba added. She placed a hand to her forehead in distress. The Reiki would help with that. "Both I might add."

"You _gave_ it to Chihiro and Haku," Zeniba reminded her, "Remember? It was going bankrupt so you-"

"How about we relive all my failures, too, Zeniba." Yubaba was becoming impatient and temperamental. "Now, can we go back to the Dark Spirits?"

"Yes," I agreed. I hated when my sisters fought. The fights started small, but as we grew more mature, magic became involved. When Yubaba was stuck with the worst gift of the three, she lost total connection with Zeniba and me. She never wanted to see our faces. She was seeking revenge.

But then Chihiro came, and she changed her ways. She made the evil side of her question what she was asking for. If Chihiro hadn't returned, I don't think the real Yubaba would have either.

"Erikku? What are you thinking? You already know what is to happen; can't we just use that as an advantage?" Even Zeniba was too ignorant to know how my power works. If I could, I would trade it for the golden seal in a heartbeat.

"It's not that simple," I replied, "I may know what is to come, but I cannot use that to help me win. I can nudge someone in the right direction, but that is it."

"Well, start nudging!" Yubaba said.

"It's not that simple!" I shouted. Anger. I had to channel my anger. I had to control myself. "I…I'm sorry. I just, I wish I didn't have this power." Gasps filled the air. It was as if the prophecy didn't exist to them at all.

"Erikku," Zeniba whispered, "why would you say a thing like that?"

"Because I won't have it for much longer," I replied, "You both know the prophecy; we will each give up our gifts to the next generation, who will give to the next, and so and so forth."

"Does that mean…you will…" Yubaba and Zeniba understood very well what the prophecy said. I was different from them, in many ways.

"Yes." I breathed a sigh of relief. The day I had longed for has finally come. I had waited generations for this day to come. "Now, back to the Dark Spirits…"

**Chihiro's POV**

"Ugh, are they ever going to come back?" Why was I being so impatient? They would come back when they were done. I didn't even know where they were, but I knew they weren't where the rest of us were. Their souls somehow transported to another realm, I figured. Fact was, the three most powerful spirits weren't where we needed them to be. And Kawazoe wouldn't shut up.

"How about you let me go and I'll find my own way? That'll teach me a lesson. Or maybe you could make me a slave in the bathhouse. You could steal my name if you want to! Or maybe-"

"Or maybe you could shut up and let me think!" I yelled at her. She was wrecking my train of thought with her constant talking.

"Wow, you and Kazuma are a lot more alike than you think," Kawazoe whispered. It was still audible, and it was insulting to be compared to someone as low as Kazuma. At least he wasn't our problem anymore, and neither was Osamu.

I was still questioning everything about Osamu. He said he was with us. From the start of the new bathhouse, he said he was our friend. He took care of Kaede when she was a child. Was that just a way to get close to her? Was it a way to tell Kazuma she would be the one to destroy me? I couldn't trust anyone anymore. I thought Osamu was my friend, but he turned out to be a fraud, just like Kawazoe and Kazuma.

"Hey, they're coming back," Haku said. Their eyes lit up and they lifted their heads in the air. They were all greeted with strange stares that were hiding a million questions.

"Um, hello everyone," Granny said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Long time no see," I replied, "Care to enlighten us on where you all went?"

"What are you talking about?" Yubaba said, "We've been here the whole-"

"Save it, Baba, she's not as dimwitted as you think she is." Erikku said to her. Baba? Was that a nickname for her? I never thought Yubaba would have had a nickname.

"I told you never to call me Baba again!" Yubaba shrieked, while all Erikku could do was laugh. They were obviously closer than just being the three most powerful spirits in the realm.

"Were you two ever…?" I began, but couldn't bring myself to say it. The idea seemed absurd.

"Are you mad, girl?" Yubaba shouted, "That's repulsive! It's incest, I tell you!"

"What?" Lin, Haku, and I said in shock. Kage and Yuki seemed to have understood what they were saying, but I was completely and utterly clueless. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Did you not think I was related to them in some way?" Erikku asked, "They're my sisters." I was frozen. I had only known Yubaba and Zeniba were twins. No one told me they had a brother, and no one told me it was Erikku. That must have been the reason Zeniba recommended we see him over every foreshadower in the Spirit World.

"You're their brother?" I had bigger issues than finding out they were all related, but I couldn't bring myself to think of anything else. Everything I was finding out was coming in all too fast.

"How about we discuss this later and focus on more important issues," Zeniba said. The fact that they were all related was baffling to me, but I let her continue anyway. We had more important issues to deal with. "We went to the Reiki to discuss our plans."

"The Reiki?" I asked. I had never heard of such a place. I hadn't heard of many places in the Spirit World. I only knew about the Aburaya, Swamp Bottom, and Erikku's Fortress. There was nowhere else I had to go to.

"The Reiki is a serene place for us to…evaluate things," Erikku explained, "We went to discuss what to do about the Dark Spirits."

"And?" I asked, "Please tell me it has nothing to do with me being a human again." Erikku walked up to me and placed both hands on my shoulders. So far, things didn't seem like they were going to turn out in my favor.

"I wish I could, Chihiro," Was his answer. I sighed, knowing I was about to face my toughest battle yet. Being human again meant I was vulnerable to any attack that came my way. One wrong move and it was the end. "Kage, when you defeated the Dark Spirits, who used the water stone?"

Kage was still frozen and I was afraid we wouldn't get him out. Erikku had enough of the games and with a wave of his hands, the ice shattered into a million pieces. Yuki ran to him and embraced him softly. "You couldn't have done that when you first came?" He asked in a paranoid tone.

"Why ruin the fun of watching you all struggle?" Erikku replied. I never saw him show any form of amusement in my life. He was changing, and I didn't understand it. I didn't understand a lot of things that had happened. "Now please, will you answer my question?"

"Yes, I had a human's help," Kage said, "She was young, much younger than Chihiro is now. She must have been a little over seven years old at the time."

"How did she do it?" Erikku asked.

"I already told everyone, she repeated a spell I taught her." Kage replied.

"So tell Chihiro the spell and then everything will be fine." Haku said. We thought it would be that simple, but lately everything was difficult to even understand. There was a catch.

"Well, not exactly…" Kage whispered.

"Then what?" I said in a paranoid tone, "What else is there?" I advanced closer to him, showing my anger towards the situation we had gotten ourselves into. Mainly the situation Kage and the weird siblings got _me_ into.

"Well, as you use the water stone and recite the spell, you have to…how do I put this lightly…you have to kill the leader of the Dark Spirits."

"We did that already," I told him, "Kazuma is dead. He's not coming back."

"He's not their leader," Kage said. My face dropped. Kazuma seemed powerful enough to be their leader; I couldn't see anyone else being that cruel and powerful all at once. "This spirit gives Kazuma nightmares at night."

"So I recite the spell and then they're all gone?" I asked, hoping that was all it took. What was I thinking; anything involving the Spirit World was not a walk in the park. This was not going to be easy.

"That will rid the worlds of the Dark Spirits, but their leader is a whole different story." Kage informed me. "How am I supposed to kill him?" I asked blankly. Kage took a deep breath and sighed. I went from almost losing my parents to almost losing my life the second time I came to the Spirit World, and now I went from almost losing my daughter to almost losing my life a second time; nothing he said would be too hard for me to take.

"You have to rip out his heart," Kage said, "And crush it." My eyes opened wide. I had to crush his heart? How vile did they think I was? How could that little girl do it the time she had to? I needed to know more on that, as well.

"How did the girl do it?" I asked him. He stared at me shockingly.

"Wha…What did you say?"

"I'm asking you how the little girl was able to rip his heart out," I repeated. Kage began to scratch the back of his neck. He was avoiding the question. Why? "Kage, did you _force_ a seven year old girl to do that?"

"Kage, is that true?" Yuki asked, disappointment written all over her face.

"No, I would never!" Kage shouted, "I mean, she wasn't forced to, but there really wasn't any other choice."

"Kage, what did you do?" I shouted even louder. I was becoming impatient, which was happening a lot lately. I couldn't help myself; he wasn't telling us the truth, and that was a problem.

"I didn't do anything! It was Yubaba!" It made sense. There was no need for an explanation. I knew exactly what that little girl was feeling. Her parents had eaten the food meant for the spirits, and they were punished. Yubaba gave her a job and took away her name.

"You mean that girl who wandered into my bathhouse almost a hundred years ago?" Yubaba questioned. Kage nodded, answering her. "Well if her parents weren't fools, she wouldn't have had to do anything."

"Yubaba!" Zeniba shouted, "Are you seriously saying you told her you wouldn't bring back her parents unless she killed him?"

"Can we just settle down and work this out like normal spirits?" Lin shouted. She was tired of all the fighting, as was I. So much was coming out at once, and it was hard for us all to take in. "Come on, what's done is done! We have to worry about what's right in front of us! We can't let them win because of our differences!"

"No, I actually like all the fighting," Kawazoe said, "It's entertaining." We gave her disgusted looks until Haku took her chains off. It shocked us all that he was letting her go. With her magic, there's no telling what she would do.

"Go." Was all he said. She didn't stand up right away, only afraid of what he was planning. I would be if I was her. He placed his right hand on her forehead and recited a dark spell. I have only seen him use it once before on Kaede…the night she returned from the Human World.

"Haku," I whispered. I couldn't believe he was doing it again. When the spell was completed, a small, golden orb of magic floated in Haku's hands. He had done it again; Haku took away Kawazoe's magic.

"Now, you may go." Kawazoe didn't take a second glance. She ran out of the room as fast as she could. She had no magic, which meant she was powerless.

"She'll warn the Dark Spirits, you know." Zeniba told us. Haku only turned around with a grin running across his face.

"Then I guess we better prepare ourselves."

**So we have the Reiki, which I think is a form of yoga or something to do with that, the power, which Kawazoe lost, and the plan which is frightening Chihiro every minute they speak of it. This is most likely going to be a 30 chapter story, so I only have about 5 chapters left! :( I've been working on this story for almost a year now! It's sad to think it'll be over soon. Over the course of this fanfic, however, I have gotten many reviews and have loved hearing what you all have to say. (HINT: Review...Review...Review...) **

**Jess2709 - I updated as soon as I could, but thank you for reviewing! :)**

**Genie2130 - I know, I haven't updated in a while. Hopefully when I go on Spring Break I'll have more time :) Thanks for your reviews!**

**Vampireninja101 - Yeah, I know right? They've been fighting for so long I had to give them back to mother-daughter love :) Thanks for reviewing and hopefully I get the next chapter up soon! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	26. Chapter 26: Innocence

**I know, I know, I have no excuse for not updating. I should have done this a while ago, but I was so caught up with other things that have gone on. :( My life is really crazy, and now I'm in this play for school and I'll be memorizing lines for the next month. But that doesn't mean I'll stop writing! I wanted this to be done by this month, but that's not going to happen. I would have to say there are maybe 3 or 4 chapters left :( I'm almost done with my Spirited Away fanfiction! Well, my second one :P I should shut up now, you all would rather read what's next :)**

**Chapter 26: Innocence**

**Kaede's POV**

We had finally made it back to the bathhouse. I felt a sense of trust between my mother and me as we left. I could sense she trusted my actions and wasn't afraid that I would run off again. Our relationship has shifted in the last week, going from revulsion to complete hatred, and now to acceptance of who we both are.

I didn't have to worry about not pleasing her anymore. She finally understood who I was and that I needed to find my own way, and I finally understood that all she had ever done for me was what she thought was best. I've known it all along, but I couldn't admit to myself that anything she did for me was out of the kindness of her heart. I was blinded by her rules and lack of affection towards me.

Now that our fighting had diminished, we had another completely different battle to face. The Dark Spirits were surrounding the bathhouse. It was the center of purity in the Spirit World, since it was where the spirits came to replenish themselves and find serenity. Now, it was a place of destruction and terror. Many of the employees did their best to attack the intruders. Rin, Ryo, and I ran across the bridge to help them along.

"Ryo, distract them with a wind storm," I commanded. He nodded and smiled. It had been a while since I saw him smile that way towards me, with affection and confidence. We had barely said a word to each other since the journey to the Human World, but with everything that has happened between us, we overcame the small disagreement. Rin made sure of that.

Ryo waved his hands over each other, creating a small wind storm. The diminutive twister gradually increased in size and he blew it towards the Dark Spirits attacking the employees. The wind storm blew them away for the time being, giving the employees time to assess the damages made and help the injured. The three of us ran to aid them. The Foreman and the frogs were fighting directly while the Yuna were acting as nurses to the injured. They would not die, but the pain they felt was entirely real. If any body part had to be amputated, it would regenerate like a starfish.

The Dark Spirits were back. Ryo, Rin, and I turned around to fight them with everything we had. Rin didn't have any powers, but she was skilled in taekwondo and martial arts. We had an advantage with our magic and all the support from the bathhouse. My mother told me stories about the Dark Spirits, how they cannot be seen by the light of day or they disappear back to where they came from. The sun wouldn't rise for some time, so we had to make do with the best of our abilities. And to make matters worse, we could see more closing in from a distance.

"What are we going to do? We can't fight all of them!" I was already giving up. It would be impossible for us to defeat them before the sun rose, even with the help of the bathhouse workers.

Ryo took my hand and held it close to him, comforting me. "We'll do it. We can win." He assured me. I smiled. Things were already changing. I couldn't do this without Ryo or Rin. Plans and movements began brewing inside my head. I could run away and live inside my mind, never to return. It was my safe haven when I needed it, and now it was my lifesaver.

"We need to enter the bathhouse. We can try entering through a window, but I don't know how easy that will be." There was something that could help. Actually, two people who could help. They were probably scared out of their mind with the sudden catastrophes.

"Why do we need to enter the bathhouse?" Rin asked.

"We need to save Mai and Haru. Then, we need them to stop the Dark Spirits." I ran to the small door on the left side of the bathhouse. My mother told me about this door, how it was what led her to Kamajii. It led her to her life in the Spirit World. Now, it would help me save the world in which I live in.

"Come on!" I shouted. Rin and Ryo followed me through the door and we ran to Kamajii. I could feel the wind blowing against my face. I felt like it was pulling me back, trying to prevent me from getting to my destination. But I fought back. I had to save my brother and sister, and they needed to save us.

"What do your siblings have to do with this?" Rin asked. We were running down the long staircase as she asked question after question. There was really no real explanation for any of this. I didn't know how to answer most of her questions. Mai and Haru knew what to do, and they knew it, too.

"I'll explain everything when we get there," I said, "But we need to get to them, first." The entrance to the boiler room was opened. Kamajii never left the door wide open. Ever. "Kamajii!" I shouted as I ran into the boiler room. I couldn't even imagine what could have happened to Kamajii. I had to get there before it was too late. I couldn't let them hurt him.

We ran as fast as lightning. It didn't take too long for us to get there, but we made it.

"Kamajii!" Two Dark Spirits had cornered him to the boiler. He was moving back slowly, inching closer to the boiler. Kamajii's soot workers were hiding in the openings in the wall. They all turned around when they heard my cry. The Dark Spirits were grotesque creatures. They stood almost twenty feet high and dressed in dark cloaks. Their faces were covered with colored masks showing various facial expressions, and most of them scared the hell out of me.

"Kids! Run, this doesn't concern you!" Kamajii said. One of the Dark Spirits motioned towards us while the other stayed on Kamajii. Ryo stepped forward and teleported a sword into his grip. The Dark Spirit mimicked his movements and created his own.

"Get to Kamajii!" Ryo shouted. They fought with their swords as Rin and I moved closer to Kamajii. He was getting closer and closer to the boiler and the Dark Spirit was pushing him further. I blew a gust of wind at him and he was knocked over. Kamajii used two of his arms and grabbed his shoulders, holding him against the wall.

"Where is it?" Kamajii shouted. The Dark Spirit's mask had a crazily contented visage, which I guessed was how he felt not telling Kamajii what he wanted to know. Kamajii began beating him with his other arms, doing more damage than someone usually would be able to.

"You tell me where it is or I'll-"

"Kamajii!" I shouted. At the sound of my cry, he stopped before throwing another punch. The Dark Spirit was already beaten enough, and it was obvious he wasn't going to say anything. He turned to face me, showing his bloodthirsty visage. He took the Dark Spirit and walked to the boiler.

"It's the only way," Kamajii told me. I didn't disagree. They were too evil and wicked to change; the only way to free the worlds from their power is to eradicate them. He threw him into the boiler, and the only sound we heard was the cry of the Dark Spirit burning from the flames.

We turned to face Ryo. The Dark Spirit he was fighting ran off, most likely because he saw his comrade burn to death. When a spirit dies, the process is much more painful than for a human. The eternal life comes with a price if that life is about to end, since the body is not used to feeling pain. It makes the pain harder to bear.

"Are you kids alright?" Kamajii asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I placed mine on top of his and smiled. "Good, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if they got you, too."

"Who else have they taken?" Rin asked. He sighed, realizing he was given us too much information. There were still things I didn't know about Kamajii. His past life was still a mystery to me.

"Sit down," Kamajii told us. We sat on the ledge in the center of the boiler room. The soot balls gradually crept out of their hiding places and joined us next to Kamajii. He couldn't find the words to say. At first, he scratched his somewhat bald head.

"Come on," I said kindly, "You know you can tell us anything." I had known Kamajii all my life, and there was nothing I questioned about him. It wasn't until I asked him about his past did he begin to turn cold towards me. He would beat around the bush and change the subject, and I wouldn't get my answer. Now, there was no reason why he shouldn't tell me the truth.

"It was a long time ago, Kaede, before your father even came to the bathhouse," Kamajii began, "I had just started working here as a slave in the boiler room. Yubaba didn't see any reason to steal my name since I signed a lifetime contract."

"But everyone signs a lifetime contract," I told him, "At least, that's what my father used to tell me about Yubaba."

"Yes, but mine, I signed with blood," He said, "There was no loophole, and I didn't want one. I had to get away."

"From who?"

"Them." He pointed to the boiler, indicating the man he had just murdered. "They were after me because of my brother, Isamu. He was working for them, trying to find a way to destroy their weakness so that nothing could end them from this world." Kamajii placed a hand on his forehead. The memories were painful to him. Reliving them was worse. "I tried to make him see the light, to see there was something more than that life. When I had finally convinced him otherwise, they murdered him."

"What?" Ryo said in shock, "They killed him because he wouldn't do what they wanted him to?" Kamajii nodded in response. I put a hand on his shoulder as tears began forming in his eyes.

"What did they have of yours?" I asked him, "You were yelling at them, asking for something." Kamajii sighed at my questions. There wasn't any way Kamajii could avoid that question. I could see the agony in his eyes, how hard it was for him to tell us the things he was. But I needed to know how to defeat the Dark Spirits. Somehow, I knew he had the answer.

"When my brother told them he wasn't going to help them with their plans, he told me he had found the answer. He knew how to destroy their weakness." Kamajii pointed to the spirit he threw in the boiler and drew a fist to the ground. "They took it, but for some reason they are unable to use it. Isamu wasn't able to tell me how to use it. They killed him before he had the chance to."

"What is it that they have?" Ryo asked. It seemed very important for Kamajii to keep hidden for all this time. But in the end, he couldn't hold it in.

"It doesn't have a name. There's nothing to really call it but 'it.' It's water from the moon frozen together with water from both the Human and Spirit Worlds. Three different waters, three different properties."

"What does each property do?"

"My brother never had the chance to clarify that with me, but he did tell me how it works."

"That's why they were after you," I said. Things were becoming clearer to me. "They wanted you to make it work for them." Kamajii nodded, staring once again at the boiler. The soot balls were inching closer to it, trying to see if there were any remnants of the spirit.

"Kaede, you must stay away from these…monsters. They have it, and there isn't any way to retrieve it." Kamajii warned me. I didn't believe him, though. There was a way; I would get it if I needed to.

Another rumble came across the bathhouse, shaking it almost to the ground. Cries came from the upstairs, and instantly I knew it was Mai and Haru. "Come on, we have to save my siblings!" Rin and Ryo stood up and ran for the small door in the wall that led to the inside of the bathhouse. Kamajii told me he wanted to stay and protect the soot balls. They had become a family over the years, and he couldn't abandon them.

"Alright, let's go." The three of us ran up the stairs. The elevator would have made me feel like I wasn't doing anything. I had to be moving to get where I wanted to go. And with my speed, it was faster than an elevator. Ryo took one of Rin's hands and I took the other. Since she had no magic, she couldn't run like we could. It was up to us to carry her along.

We had made it to the top floor, where my family lived. I burst open the doors and heard the cries growing louder. I continued to where Mai and Haru's room was. The door was already kicked down when we arrived. Someone was already there.

I entered the room, expecting to see some Dark Spirits tormenting my siblings, but instead I was surprised with some old relatives. "Grandma?" I whispered. The older woman huddling over Haru turned around to see me, recognizing me as her granddaughter.

"Kaede!" She shouted as she made her way to embrace me. My grandfather stayed with Mai and Haru, who at the sight of me ran along with their grandmother.

"Kaede! You're here!" They hugged me and I couldn't let go. I thought I had lost them. Even with all the fighting and aggravation I receive from them, nothing makes me more contented than seeing them alive and well.

"Mai…Haru…you're safe," I whispered.

"How do you know them?" Grandma Yuuko asked. They had never met; they didn't know who they were to each other. My grandparents acted on instinct to protect them.

"How are you here?" I said, avoiding her question, "How did you enter through the gate?"  
"It was opened, probably because of the earthquakes going on. It's happening in the Human World as well." Things were getting way out of hand. We had to stop them before they went too far.

"Mai, Haru, I need your communications ring," I said.

"We don't have it." Mai said. I gave her a quizzical look. Had they already lost it? She pointed to the two standing behind me. I turned around only to find two guilty-looking friends of mine. "Where is it?" I asked them.

"We…sort of…gave it to Lin. Or Emi…whatever her name is." Ryo said. I needed to contact my mother, but now that wasn't possible. I needed to tell her we were alright and that I had a way to defeat the Dark Spirits.

"Mai, Haru, I need your help." I said. They were eager to help in any way they could. My grandparents, however, were more confused than I'd ever seen them. I wasn't sure if I should tell them Mai and Haru were my younger siblings, due to the current events taken place.

"What do you need us to do?" Mai asked with her innocent voice.

"Yeah, how do you plan to defeat them using your little siblings?" Rin asked. At that, my grandparents looked shaken. I had mentioned Mai and Haru to them, but it must have slipped their minds.

"Your siblings?" Grandfather had said in a questioning tone. He stood up and walked towards his wife, he was in just as much shock as he was. I sighed and turned to Rin. She whispered an apology to me. I wasn't angry with her; it was going to come out eventually.

"Mai, Haru, go with Rin and Ryo. I'll meet you on the bridge." Rin and Ryo took their hands and left the room, leaving me to explain everything to my grandparents. I didn't think I would have to, since they live an entire world away. I thought I would never see them again, but now that they're here, there are some things I should discuss with them.

"I know I should have told you, but we have so much going on at the moment! I have to get down there to save the bathhouse." I was about to leave when a hand grabbed my arm. My grandmother had a smile on her face; she wasn't angry at all.

"Kaede, we're not mad you didn't tell us, we're just glad to know. I have three beautiful grandchildren, and I couldn't have asked for anything better." I smiled back. They were more understanding than I thought. Being human, I thought they would have been furious. My description of humans came from my mother, but now that I was beginning to understand her more, there were certain beliefs I was beginning to change.

"How are you going to defeat these spirits with your siblings, though?" I had thought of this only a while ago when we were on the bridge, and I wasn't even sure if it would work, but I had to try. It was the only thing I could think of.

"Mai and Haru are the epitome of innocence; the Dark Spirits are…well, dark. If I can find a way to channel their magic towards their leader, then maybe I can destroy them for good."

**Looks like Kaede has a plan for destroying the Dark Spirits! Hmmm, we shall find out! And this time, I shall swear to myself, the next update will be before the weekend is over. I'll stop eating chocolate for this, and when I'm done, then I can eat chocolate. That should motivate me more! :) Thank you all for reading and reviewing, that also makes me write faster!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	27. Chapter 27: The Leader

**Hi guys! I did it! So maybe I didn't get it done by Sunday, but I actually have a reason. I was driving from 3 to 11 because I was coming home from vacation, so I couldn't write AT ALL. I get headaches in the car when reading or writing :( So Monday is like my weekend day. This is the overall battle with the leader, hence the chapter title :) I also have a poll up on my profile, so please answer the question I have :) That would make me very happy. **

**Chapter 27: The Leader**

**Chihiro's POV**

I was riding Haku as I usually did. Yuki was riding Kage as we all made our way back to the bathhouse. Lin was riding on the back of Haku as well. It was her first time riding a dragon, and she wasn't that willing. After I told her there was no other way, she forced herself onto Haku's back, but held tightly onto his mane.

"How much longer?" She shouted from the back as the wind blew in our faces. I had done this a thousand times in the past, and the wind against my face gave me peace. I could close my eyes and imagine myself anywhere. Sometimes I would imagine I was at school with my friends as we ran the mile, or even that I was on a roller coaster at my favorite amusement park. I could picture everything perfectly, even it had been over sixteen years since I did any of those things. I wanted my children to be able to do the things I did, but didn't see any chance of that happening. Their lives were in the Spirit World, as was mine now.

"Sen! Did you hear me?" I hadn't been called Sen in a long time. Only Boh would call me that, and I rarely saw him. Whenever Haku and I visited Swamp Bottom, he was always taking a nap or playing with his toys in his room. "I asked how much longer this would be!"

I opened my eyes, revealing them to the darkness of the night. Flying at night was much more exciting than during the day. The stars always shone like diamonds. Sometimes they would dance for us, circling Haku as he fly to our destination. I didn't turn around to see Lin as I replied. "Not too much longer, I promise."

"Good!" I closed my eyes again and returned to my peaceful imagination. This was my Reiki. I could revisit the world I knew in a time long ago, I could feel the emotions I used to feel. I could see my parents, their smiling faces as I imagined us together again. I could see my friends at school gossiping about the popular girls and us laughing at how haughty they were. I missed the life I used to know, I missed my friends and family. I missed the memories I had, the memories I could have had.

But if I hadn't left, I wouldn't have the three children I do now, and more importantly, I wouldn't have the man who I've been in love with since the day my father made the careless mistake the take a shortcut. It was the smartest thing he ever did.

"Chihiro!" I heard my name being called out once more. It couldn't have been Lin, since she only addressed me as Sen. I looked to my right and found a black dragon flying side by side with Haku. Yuki was calling me out. "Look!"

Yuki was pointing straight ahead towards the bathhouse. I turned my head, only to find things had gotten way out of hand. The Dark Spirits were ruthless creatures, but I never thought there were so many. I could see the trustworthy employees fighting bravely against them. As much as I wanted that to be what worried Yuki, it was far from it.

We were still a ways off from the bathhouse, but he was clear as daylight. Standing twice as tall as the bathhouse, a Dark Spirit with much more frightening features than the rest. Pitch black skin, eyes red as blood. He didn't even look like a spirit. He was a monster; he was their leader.

"We may have our work cut out for us," I whispered.

**Kaede's POV**

The stairs were longer than I remembered. I told my grandparents to stay out of the way, that they would get themselves killed if they followed me. I should have known better than to think a human wouldn't do everything they could to save those they care most about. I slowed down my speed so they could follow me. My grandfather was slowing us down, with his weight problem.

I didn't know that much about my grandparents; my mother never talked about them. I always wondered what it would have been like to be their granddaughter, to have grandparents. I have never seen my father's parents; they lived far away in the Spirit World. I didn't even think my father had contact with them. But it always ate away at me to wonder what life I could have had as a human.

Then again, I wouldn't be who I was if I hadn't been Chihiro and Kohaku's daughter. I wouldn't have had great friends like Ryo and Rin or amazing siblings like Mai and Haru, which I now had to protect from the evil that surrounded the bathhouse.

"How…how much further?" My grandfather had asked for the tenth time in two minutes. I didn't know how my grandmother put up with his complaints and indolence. He was a pain sometimes, I had soon realized.

"Don't worry; the main floor is just up ahead." We ran down another flight of stairs to the entrance of the bathhouse. The Yuna were still caring for the injured as we ran down. I saw many plug their noses at the sight of my human grandparents, but that was natural. It wasn't every day that a human came to the Spirit World and the stench was truly rancid. I had learned to cope with it during my time in the Human World.

I burst through the door to see hundreds of Dark Spirits floating around, attacking anyone who came near them. The frogs were distracting a group of them while the Foreman attacked from behind. It wasn't any use; there were too many. And with the sight I had just seen, it was only getting worse.

"Is…is that…" I pointed at the large, grotesque creature making his way past the Aburaya. He was the source of the Dark Spirits, I had no doubt. Rin and Ryo had made their way to the bridge with my younger siblings, but did not dare cross it. They couldn't find a way to pass our newest conflict.

"Kaede!" Mai had noticed me and wasted no time in rushing to my side. She hugged my leg and I held her hand. Haru followed her footsteps and joined her by my side. We could do this; I had to trust in them.

"Listen to me," I began. It would work; my plan…it had to. There was no other way. "I need you both to sing that lullaby mother taught us."

"The one she would sing to us when we had nightmares?" Mai asked. I nodded. She said nightmares were bad spirits who came into our minds at night. The lullaby scared them away, and she taught us the song so we could sing it when we were frightened. It would work. It worked when we were younger, and it would work now.

Mai and Haru sat cross-legged and closed their eyes. It was as if they had known this was what they were supposed to do all along. I sat next to them and shut my eyes as well. It had to be the three of us. I may not have been as innocent as them, but I had to try.

_"Lullaby, lullaby, help me sleep. The night is long, the spirits reap. Lullaby, lullaby, the sun will rise. This song will be their own demise. Lullaby, lullaby, I'm safe with you. These spirits of the night can't harm me with you."_

They had remembered more than I had of the tune. We sung the tune for what seemed like ages, repeating the words over and over. I soon heard more voices joining in, singing the tune. It was an ancient spell my mother had taught us, one that many were told as children and passed on to their children. After some time, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I suddenly opened my eyes to see a smiling Ryo. Everyone around us was smiling. It worked.

"They're gone," Ryo said, "This burst of light just flash around them and they vanished." I smiled at him and we embraced. Things were looking up for us, until his smiled vanished and our problem increased.

"Their leader is still here," I finished his sentence. We had finished our first conflict, and now the worst was yet to come.

**Chihiro's POV**

We were closer to the bathhouse when it happened. Haku and Kage landed on the roof as we began the plan. Haku and Kage returned to their original forms as we stared into our foes. I had soon realized there was one mistake we had failed to recognize.

"Kage, what is that spell you were going to teach me?" I asked, "I cannot defeat them without it." He smiled at me, as if I already knew it.

"It's a lullaby taught to young children when they have nightmares. Do you remember? I'm sure you're parents taught you it." Even human children learned the same traditions as spirits. I had taught my own the lullaby when they had nightmares, as did my parents. It would make the dreams disappear, and now I was realizing there was more than one purpose.

"The Dark Spirits are the nightmares," I said. Kage nodded in response. It made sense; their goal was to destroy any form of contentment, and dreams were the happiest things anyone could have, especially children.

I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes. The lullaby was still fresh in my mind; I would never forget the words, since I had repeated the lullaby countless times. It soothed me when I needed time to think and to be at peace.

_"Lullaby, lullaby, help me to sleep. The night is long, the spirits reap. Lullaby, lullaby, the sun will rise. This song will be their own demise. Lullaby, lullaby, I'm safe with you. These spirits of the night can't harm me with you."_

"Keep going, Chihiro," I heard a whisper. I continued to repeat it. I heard more voices join in, thinking it was one of the other three with me. The voices multiplied until the lullaby was the only thing heard. "Chihiro!"

I suddenly opened my eyes to see that neither of them had joined in the song. They were all at the edge of the roof, staring down at the bridge. "What? What is it?" I stood up and observed what they were. The employees of the bathhouse were all chanting along. At the end of the bridge, I saw three children sitting in a straight line. They were mine; my children were singing the lullaby. My voice wasn't that loud when I began, so it must have been their idea to sing it.

The Dark Spirits were out of sight, out of mind. We were freed from the first problem, and now their leader was the only thing standing in the way. He was at the other end of the bridge, staring at my children. He wanted them.

"Kaede!" I shrieked as his large hand came swooping in at them. In the blink of an eye, Kaede had used a shield spell on her and her siblings. The leader pounded on them with all his strength, trying to get to them.

"Don't stop!" I heard her say, "Don't stop singing!" Mai and Haru hadn't moved from their sitting position. They continued singing. It put pressure on the leader's heart. While it couldn't kill him, it was still weakening him.

I still had to rip his heart out. I still had to end his reign. The little girl from years ago had done the same to their past leader, and now it was my turn. Haku turned unto a dragon, as if he read my mind. I smiled at him and mounted his back. He departed from the bathhouse's roof and flew in the direction of the monster. Haku stopped in front of him, eyeing him in such a way that would damn someone to hell.

"Well, if it isn't the human girl and her dragon boy," the leader said. His voice was deep and despicable. I could feel the hatred in his voice and the desire to stop us. His goal was to take control of both the Human and Spirit Worlds, and we were standing in his way. "You have no chance against me. You may have taken out my reinforcements, but I'm still stronger than all of you."

"I don't want to have to do this, but if I must, then I must." I stood up on Haku's back, balancing myself so I wouldn't fall. I spotted his left hand moving closer. Right before he was about to hit Haku, I jumped and grabbed a hold of his thumb. Haku managed to escape unharmed.

"You pesky little human, nothing can stop me. You're in your most vulnerable position, being a human once again. One attack from me and your life is over." He was speaking true; my life could end. Normally his attacks wouldn't, but one blow and I would have said goodbye to everyone and everything I had come to know.

"You're wrong!" I shouted, "I'm going to finish you and no one will feel threatened by you or the Dark Spirits again!" His hand was inches from his chest. I didn't know how I was to do this without magic, but there wasn't any other way. I reached my hand forward, close enough to reach inside of him. I could feel the beating of his chest as I pulled my hand back. In my grip was a vile, and very much alive, heart. The blood pumping through was mixed with black blood. His hatred was so deep it went to the only thing pure enough to cure him.

I had to hold it in both hands due to its enormous size. I stared into his eyes, his eyes that were now realizing what was being done. With all the strength I had, I pushed in. I crushed his heart until it turned to ashes, killing the beast in front of me. His screams were so powerful it could have been heard from my world. He threw me out of his grip, dropping me hundreds of feet below.

I was falling at a fast speed, falling down to the bridge. I must have lost consciousness because there wasn't a single thing I remembered after that.

**Kaede's POV**

"Mom!" I shouted. She had done it; she had killed their leader. But without help, she was going to die. I had known of her transformation back into a human, and if she hit the bridge it would be the end. "Ryo, lower the clouds in the sky to the bridge! Now!" He didn't hesitate to respond. He moved several clouds out of their position in the sky to create a blanket for my mother. We joined the clouds into a blanket as she continued to fall. Within seconds, she had landed on the clouds, safe and sound.

Mai and Haru had ended their chant and ran to our mother's side. My father had returned from his spot on the roof to see her. I had only heard my mother call my name moments ago, warning me of the leader. In a brief second, I acted upon instinct and protected my siblings. I had realized they way to the bathhouse. I couldn't have done it without my mother.

"We can turn her back," my father said, holding her in his arms, "Erikku must have a way." He ran back towards the bathhouse with the rest of the employees. Mai and Haru followed close behind. I began to follow them, but something pulled me back. A sudden gust of wind pulled me back. I was in trance, unable to break from it. Something was calling to me.

**Oooh, where is it Kaede is going? Who, or what, is calling her? And if any of you have seen Once Upon a Time, you would understand where I got the ripping out the heart part from. Credit to that! :) Man, I was really trying to get this done, but with essays and play practice, I barely have time to do anything else! I really have no social life at the moment. Sadly, there are only two more chapters planned for this! :( I plan on posting them both before the end of next week, and that is what I intend to do! No dilly dallying! Thank you, my readers and reviewers. I cannot say it enough! :) **

**Anabelle ;)**

**P.S. DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE POLL!**


	28. Chapter 28: Second Chances

**I just wanted to let you all know why today was the latest update...it's my anniversary! 4-15-12, I started this story! It's not a big accomplishment, I'd say; I probably should have finished months ago. But, sadly, there is only one chapter left. WHICH I WILL PUT UP ON FRIDAY! NO LATER! Nothing will stop me! It's mainly an epilogue, anyway, so it'll be shorter than the rest. Well, please enjoy the latest update!**

**Chapter 28: Second Chances**

I ran at lightning speed, going with the wind instead of against it. It was just like the story my mother told me. The wind that led her to the Spirit Gate was doing exactly the same for me. The boat was inching closer to the Aburaya, but I didn't need it. I had to follow where the wind was taking me.

I ran across the water to the dock, to the building my mother entered when she came from her world to ours. I ran my hand against the wall. It was soft under my touch; it comforted me. There was something here for me; something I needed.

"Kaede…" a soft voice whispered my name; singing my name was a more appropriate term. I walked in, closer, trying to find the owner of the voice. I slowly walked in the hallway. What awaited me, I hadn't the slightest idea. But not knowing would eat away at me.

"Kaede…Kaede…" The sound grew louder as I continued down the long hallway. It was pitch black, and all I used for direction was the surrounding walls. Why was I following something I had no knowledge of? I didn't know who was calling me, nor why. All I knew was that I wanted to discover who it was.

The long walk was finally over. The exit was in plain sight. When it caught my eye, I ran to the doorway. The moon lit the entrance and my sight returned. Shrubs and trees surrounded the entrance, giving it a warm feeling. I breathed in the lovely midnight air that had the fragrance of a million flowers.

"Kaede…" The voice continued singing my name. Or was it two? The voice seemed to have multiplied into many voice. Suddenly, stars began falling from the sky and meeting me at the entrance. No face could be distinguished, yet they still have all the senses, for they continued to sing. They were telling me to cross over and join them. They were telling me to come to the Human World.

"We can turn you into a human," one whispered. I was taken aback by this. Human? All my life I've come to despise humans, and yet they were telling me I could become one. Was it possible? My mother was a human at the moment; she transformed into a spirit years ago, so of course it was possible. But was it something I wanted?

"We can give you a new life," another whispered.

"Come, join your family." A third said. If they had hands, I was sure they would reach out and attempt to pull me in. Why was this happening? I didn't ask for this decision. They were making me choose the human side of me or the spirit side.

"You can escape the bathhouse," The first told me. I was interested at that. All my life I worked in that wretched bathhouse. I wanted desperately to find a way to leave. I wanted to be a free spirit like my Aunt Emi. "We can give you a life worth living here." All it would take was an agreement from me. Was it even what I wanted? Of course, for years I dreamed of finding some place beyond the bathhouse, and this could be it. A week ago I would have agreed, no questions asked; now, I was contemplating going or staying.

"Why am I being given this choice?" I asked them, "Why me? Why?"

"You can do great things here that cannot be done there," one whispered, "This is your home." I almost went. I almost walked through the entrance and separated myself from the spirit inside of me. Two steps and I was there. Two steps and my life in the Spirit World was over.

As I lifted my right foot, someone was faintly calling my name. It wasn't like the stars that were before me, but it sounded more like a friend. I turned around, only to find someone running through the hallway, still calling after me.

"Kaede!" The figure grew as they made their way to where I stood. I dropped my foot and stepped in closer. As if from a dream, Ryo came to me. I stood in my tracks, unable to move. When Ryo finally caught up to me, he was out of breath. Who knew how long he was chasing after me.

"Kaede…" He said, panting out of breath. His hands rested against his knees. It was as if he knew what was going to happen. It was such a relief to see him care so much about me even after all we had been through. Even after I shunned him and told I never wanted to speak to him again, he still managed to keep our friendship alive. Maybe even more than that…

"Ryo," I began, "What are you doing here?" I turned around to see if the stars were there, but they had all disappeared. My opportunity was gone; I was never going to become a human.

"I saw…I saw you running here so I followed you." He said, still panting. "I wanted to make sure you were okay, that no Dark Spirit was still out there." I couldn't help but smile. He followed me to make sure I wasn't in trouble. He truly was always there for me.

"You…you wanted to make sure I was alright?" I repeated. He nodded in response. That was all I needed to embrace him. I had pushed away the only person who truly understood me. He was always there for me when I needed someone to talk to, and it didn't kill that he had the looks to go with his charm.

He was taken aback by my sudden movements it took him a second to understand what was going on. I was accepting that no matter what, Ryo was going to be a part of my life. And that was something I never wanted to let go. If I had gone to the Human World, I would have given up on my family and friends, and Ryo above all. I couldn't leave everyone I cared most about. They were with me from the start, and I would be with them until the end.

"Ryo, I'm so sorry for everything I've done. I never should have pushed you away. You were right, and always have been." Tears streamed down my cheeks and landed on his shoulders. He held me closer to him, comforting me. It was just like when he would visit me at night; we would talk or stare at the stars, and he would listen to me. I never appreciated what I had until I almost lost them. "Can you ever forgive me?" At this I looked into his eyes. His soft, gentle eyes showed forgiveness and comfort. He was there for me, every step of the way.

"Maybe this will answer your question." He whispered. Without a second thought, his lips pressed lightly against mine. I didn't pull away or shun him out, but I let it be. I waited for this since before I can remember. And now that I knew his feelings were the same, everything seemed right in the world.

Moments later, we parted, unable to be without the other. We knew this was right; we knew this was supposed to be true.

"Ryo…" I whispered. We were soul mates now. Nothing could separate us. It was the same bond my parents shared; even the current events couldn't separate their love.

"We'd better get back to your parents," Ryo said, "I think they're wondering where we went to." I smiled and nodded. It was perfect. Now all that was left was to change my mother into the spirit she was.

**Back at the Bathhouse**

We returned to the bathhouse just in time for my father to realize I had gone missing. Everyone surrounded the door that led to where my family lived, but Ryo and I were let through to see her. My mother was already in bed resting, while Zeniba and Yubaba were looking for spells or potions that could save her. Uncle Kage and Aunt Yuki were one the left, holding each other in their arms. Aunt Emi was next to my father, comforting him, when he saw me enter the room.

"Kaede, where have you been?" My father scolded me, as he knelt by my mother's side, "I have asked everyone if they had seen you. I thought…I thought maybe…" He couldn't look at me as he his thoughts ran wild. I knew what he thought; I would, too, if it were my child. I bent down to his level and embraced him warmly. I had to let him know I wasn't going to leave him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I whispered, "I won't do it again. I won't leave you." He touched my arm and soon embraced me as well. Tears shed between us as we stayed where we were. Nothing could come between the bond we shared.

"I know," he replied, "I was just so worried about you." I was unable to depart from where we were; I was his little girl, I always had been. And now with all the events taken place, I realized that even when things went wrong he was still there, watching over me, protecting me.

"Hey! Get off of me! We're family!" My father and I departed when we heard a man's voice. A couple of frogs were holding them hostage, not letting them near the room. The voice was still recognizable from where I sat.

"Grandpa!" I shouted. I sounded like a ten-year-old girl calling for my grandpa. At this point he and my grandmother entered the room being held back by the frogs. "Let them be! They really are family!"

"How? They're humans!" One replied, "Can't you smell them?"

"Yes, but that's because my mother was a human!" I explained. They were new to the bathhouse, only started working there a year or two ago. They weren't aware of my mother's past.

"Akio?" My father questioned. He stood up, walking towards the couple in the doorway. "Yuuko?" The couple stared at each other and smiled. They nodded to my father with contentment. It had been so long since they had seen each other, since before my birth.

"Hello, Haku," My grandmother said, "I see you and Chihiro have raised a wonderful, respectful daughter. And a couple other great children, I might add." As if on cue, Mai and Haru entered the room and ran to their grandparents' arms, still unaware of whom their identity was.

"Daddy!" They shouted. The two left their grandparents' arms to meet with their father's. So much happened in the time they, but now we were all together; as a family.

"Mai, Haru…" He was only glad to have his family back where we were supposed to be; together. We made each other stronger. We brought out the good and the bad sides of each other, but that was only because we were family. We didn't care about how different we were from each other, only that we did what made us happy.

"I've got it!" Zeniba said, snapping her fingers. The entire time of our reunion, she and her sister were planning ways to bring my mother back the way she was before.

"What is it, Granny?" I had gotten used to calling her Granny after my mother, and she didn't want it any other way.

"I think our dear brother, Erikku, may be able to help." Everyone turned to the spirit standing in the dark corner of the room. His back rested against the wall and he was staring at his feet the entire time, no doubt thinking about a way to help my mother.

"Well?" I asked him, "Can you save my mother?" Erikku left the sanctuary of the corner and walked to me. He gave me a reassuring smile; he knew exactly what to do.

Erikku pulled something out of his pocket. It was the most precious stone I had ever seen. The blue shined diamonds, yet it was more pure and serene than that. It was most definitely made from our world, which meant it had magical properties.

"Do you know what this is, my child?" Erikku asked me.

"It…it's a water stone, isn't it?" I had never seen one before, but I heard stories from my mother and father about the time when she was being tested. I knew exactly where he was going with this.

"Yes, it is," he said, "Your Uncle Kage made this from the water in his river. Before, the spirits hated humans. It was wrong for any human to have contact with our world, and vice versa. The only one with contact between the worlds was Zeniba, Yubaba, and me, as well as the other rulers of the land. Because of your father's father, the spirits all decided that a water stone could not save the life of a human by turning them into a spirit. It was soon forbidden. Your mother changed that when she told your father she loved him. The spirit guarding the gates of heaven gave her a second chance, reversing what the spirits declared."

"And now a water stone may be able to save her," I completed his sentence. He nodded in response, handing me the stone. I held it in my hands, feeling the coolness it projected. The stone was the answer to our problems.

"I hope this works, Mom," I whispered. From stories passed down, I knew what needed to be done. I walked up to my mother as she slept the night away. Her face was pale and her hair had partially turned gray. The spell was aging her faster than normal. If it was to be done, it had to be done now. I pressed the stone into her chest, where her heart was. The purity of the water would cleanse her, giving her the life she had come to know.

Within seconds, my mother's eyes had opened and she took a deep breath. She sat up and observed her surroundings. She saw everyone in the room, taking in what had happened. Then she saw me, sitting at her bedside. I could see a teardrop fall down her cheek as she embraced me.

"Thank you, Kaede," She whispered. I returned the embrace. My eyes had opened to see the good she had done for me in the past; I was only returning the favor.

**And she's awake! The battling is over, Kaede and Ryo are _in love_, and all is right with their lives. Don't worry, there is NOT going to be a third story. This only a two-story fanfiction. I have one planned next, which will come out in May. It's an Alice in Wonderland, 2010 fanfics and I really hope some of you will read it. That would make me happy :) I also still have the poll on my profile, so it would be much appreciated if you took a minute to vote. Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	29. Chapter 29: Epilogue

**Well, this is it. The last chapter for this story. :( I think I might cry! I have spent over a year working on this, and now it's finally ending! Thanks to everyone whose read and reviewed, especially Vampireninja101 :) Based on the title, it's just an epilogue to not keep you all wondering what happened to everyone. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 29: Epilogue**

**The next morning**

The sun rose over the Aburaya. A new day arose from the aftermath. From where 15-year-old Kaede Nushi stood, the rising sun was more than just a new day. It was a new beginning. The Dark Spirits had been conquered, her mother returned to her original self, and their relationship was resolved in all of one week.

She walked out on the balcony on the top floor of the bathhouse. She closed her eyes and breathed in the wondrous ocean air. Since that storm 25 years ago, the bathhouse rested above a nice, blue ocean. She rubbed her fingers against the rigid wooden rail, feeling ridges with each movement. The waves' attacking of bathhouse was music to her ears. This was a sign; this was her home.

The Human World seemed like a wonderful place to live during her brief visit, but that wasn't where she belonged. Her family and friends were all here, and she wouldn't give them up for the other world.

She felt a cool pair of hands rest on her shoulders and she opened her eyes. She smiled and turned around, meeting a pair of diamond-colored eyes. They twinkled in the rising sunlight and smiled back at her. She rested her head against his shoulder and he embraced her. How right they felt together, to _be_ together.

"They're going," he whispered to her, "You may want to say good-bye." She nodded slowly. She would never see them again. There wasn't any way to make them stay. They belonged in their world.

They began the walk down the stairs to the lobby. Everyone was waiting there, saying their farewells. Kage and Yuki stood in the corner with their children, Hamano and Taro. Ever since she gave her husband that test, he has returned to the man she once knew. Their love blossoms with each passing day.

Lin decided to stay in the bathhouse. Being away made her lonesome. She missed her old friends, especially the human girl and dragon boy. Chihiro gave her a job as her assistant so she wouldn't have to work scrubbing tubs again.

Kamajii had nothing to complain about. His life was perfect in the boiler room. The sootballs adored him and that had become a family over the years. And now that he had Lin to bring him his food instead of some random stranger every once in a while, he felt more at home than ever.

Yubaba and Zeniba had become closer as sisters. They practiced magic together and learned not to let their temper run loose, especially Yubaba. No-Face loved seeing Chihiro and Haku visit them. He would give her flowers every time they came. Boh, however, was still the baby he was and _never _grew up. He lived under his mother's protection from the outside, but when she wasn't there his Aunt Zeniba would take him for a stroll.

"Well, looks like the two lovebirds got together, after all," Rin said. Kaede smiled at her remark. It was true; they were in love. It just took them some time to realize it. Chihiro and Haku were having a nice chat with her parents. In the last 16 years, there was a lot to talk about. "Oh, you don't know how much I missed you both."

"Now, Chihiro," her mother said, "We know. We missed you just as much. Opportunities like these only come once in a lifetime. But, I guess this really is good-bye." A tear trickled down her face as her daughter embraced her. This, indeed, was the last moment they would spend together.

"Yuuko, we mustn't stay too much longer." Chihiro brought him into the hug as well. Mai and Haru soon joined in, as well as Haku. They were a family for the first time.

"Um," Kaede said, loud enough for them to hear. All eyes went to her and Ryo, as they held hands and descended the staircase. "Can I join in on this momentous occasion?" Chihiro smiled and nodded, spreading her arm out to her daughter. Kaede released her grip on Ryo and joined her family. They were truly magnificent.

"Before they go, my dear, there is something I think they should see." A voice came out from the darkness of a corner. Erikku. Only he would pop up and share some unexplained news.

"What is it?"

Erikku smiled and bent down to Kaede's height. "You understand my power, correct?" Kaede nodded, giving him the cue to continue. "I can see the future, the past, and of course, the present. I can visualize every moment that has happened and will happen. But that is only because I am special in a way very few spirits are."

"Why, how?" Kaede asked. There were many things that were unexplainable, but once Erikku finished, all would be revealed.

"I am the brother of Yubaba and Zeniba, that much is true. But I am only their half-brother."

"Half-brother?" Came from voices in the room.

"Oh, stop your ignorance and let the man finish!" Yubaba shrieked.

"My mother was a human, like yours. She died in childbirth, and my father took the duty to raise me. Being half-spirit, I would stand out in the Human World. He later met a woman named Ayano, who soon gave birth to twin daughters, Yubaba and Zeniba."

"I'm the older one!" Both witches shouted. Erikku couldn't help but laugh. They always fought over who was older, but only Erikku knew the answer, and he wouldn't tell them.

"Yes, of course," he said, and continued. "We were given a certain responsibility around the age you are. There were three items: the bathhouse, which my father owned, the golden seal, which belonged to my stepmother, and this." He held a golden ball. It was magic. _His_ magic.

"But, that's…"

"Yes, all the magic inside of me. And now, it's yours."

"What?" Again the voices of those whose ignorance blinded them. Yubaba and Zeniba hushed them, letting Erikku finish.

"Why is it mine?"

"Because you are like me," he explained, "your mother may have given birth to you as a spirit, but she still has her human qualities. Your brother and sister and the same, as well. But you have a certain eminence about yourself that makes you able to carry such an important task." He motioned for her to bond with the magic. Bonding meant receiving, and she wasn't sure she was ready.

"I…I don't know…" She paced the floor, back and forth. "I will have the powers you have?" Erikku nodded in response. She looked for support around the room, and everyone agreed.

"Kaede, you deserve it." Chihiro said.

"It was your destiny all along." Zeniba told her.

"It is who you are." Ryo said, walking up to her. "You're supposed to have this gift. It's a special gift; take it." She looked to Erikku who was patiently waiting for her decision. Confidently, she nodded.

"I will." She closed her eyes and let the magic do its job. Glowing lights flashed around her and bonded with the spirit inside of her. There was also somewhat of a human quality, one that made her capable of holding such power. Erikku was also changing. In his life, he has never been completely spirit or human, and now was his chance to decide.

"I need to be with my sisters, with my family." He whispered. He was spirit, but his magic was gone. Kaede opened her eyes, and a whole new world opened up to her. She could choose time periods and places and the answers were directly in front of her. Her vision was cleared and she was whole.

"Thank you, Erikku. Thank you."

Yuuko and Akio hugged them all one last time before giving one last farewell. Kaede lived her life well, using her gift only when she knew she must. After many years, she and Ryo moved to Erikku's old fortress and began their lives together. The three gifts were all passed on to the next generation to come, and as for Kaede, her eyes were open to the world.

**And there you have it! I really want to thank my supporters who stuck with me. This was all for you. Now, all my focus will go to finishing my Kiki's ****fanfic :) There's still many chapters to come with that one, but with me being in the school play and my school life sucking up all my time, I have barely any time to hang out with my friends. I've already started working on my Alice in Wonderland, 2010 fanfic, and the next chapter will be up after this weekend :) Thanks again, and happy reading!**

**Anabelle ;)**


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